Author: Mark Alexander

Damn the Republicans all to Hell.

I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have decent insurance. Come to think of it, I do know. I’d die.

I’m on two types of insulin, as undoubtedly most Type 2 diabetics are: a short acting type to be taken before meals, and a once-a-day long-acting variety that helps keep glucose stable the rest of the time.

In my particular case, it’s Novolog for short-acting, and Tresiba for long-acting. My endocrinologist prescribes these in 90 days supplies which—as you can imagine—is a lot of boxes of pre-filled syringes. With my insurance I pay $80 for each 90-day supply; a steal I know. I looked at the retail price they conveniently print out on each order, and I was beyond shocked. (The same goes for the other medications I take on a regular basis.)

Novolog—which is basically just plain old insulin—in that 90-day quantity retails for $3100. The Tresiba goes for $2400.

So, four refills a year of each would come to a grand total of $22,000 a year.

That comes to a little less than a third of my pre-tax income.

Who can afford to pay that?

And don’t even get me started on the cost of the Libre3 monitors…