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SARATOGA COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The EpiPen isn’t the only drug that’s seen a massive price hike in recent months. Insulin prices have dramatically increased causing a crisis for many families trying to afford the lifesaving drug.
As many as 30 million Americans have diabetes, including many children who depend on insulin. In fact, getting your hands on a small vile of insulin has jumped threefold in 10 years. Now, a local family is wondering how they are going to pay for the medicine to keep their children alive.
NEWS10 ABC visited the Harder family during dinner at their house and saw meal time can get a little complicated.
“Most other families just sit down,” Amy Harder explained.
The Harders have to go through a process before the kids can take their first bite, and mom Amy has to measure all the food on two of her sons’ plates. Her two older sons, Donnie and Joe, have Type 1 diabetes. That’s why, before every meal, their dinner table turns into a bit of a clinic.
Since Donnie’s and Joe’s pancreas have stopped making insulin, they have to make up for it using medicine.
“Joe’s giving himself an injection because he doesn’t have a pump yet,” Amy explained. “He’s only been diagnosed for two weeks.”
At just 12 1/2 years old, Joe has to test his own blood sugar, count his carbohydrates, and get ready for another shot. It’s a nightly routine the Harders are now used to.
“It’s a big part of our life,” Amy added.
Donnie also has a closet stocked with medical supplies.
“He’s got lancets, test strips, extra syringes,” Amy described.
The supplies don’t come cheap.
“With tabs, alcohol wipes each week, we are spending $100-$150 dollars,” Amy said.
That doesn’t count the insulin.
“When Joe was first diagnosed, it was well over $200 dollars out of pocket with insurance,” Amy said.
Since 2002, the cost of insulin has increased more than 200 percent. In a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, it’s estimated spending on insulin went from $231 dollars to $736 dollars in decades time, which forced families like the Harders to make tough decisions.
Full story: http://news10.com/2017/10/04/diabetic-sticker-shock-the-high-price-of-staying-alive/
As many as 30 million Americans have diabetes, including many children who depend on insulin. In fact, getting your hands on a small vile of insulin has jumped threefold in 10 years. Now, a local family is wondering how they are going to pay for the medicine to keep their children alive.
NEWS10 ABC visited the Harder family during dinner at their house and saw meal time can get a little complicated.
“Most other families just sit down,” Amy Harder explained.
The Harders have to go through a process before the kids can take their first bite, and mom Amy has to measure all the food on two of her sons’ plates. Her two older sons, Donnie and Joe, have Type 1 diabetes. That’s why, before every meal, their dinner table turns into a bit of a clinic.
Since Donnie’s and Joe’s pancreas have stopped making insulin, they have to make up for it using medicine.
“Joe’s giving himself an injection because he doesn’t have a pump yet,” Amy explained. “He’s only been diagnosed for two weeks.”
At just 12 1/2 years old, Joe has to test his own blood sugar, count his carbohydrates, and get ready for another shot. It’s a nightly routine the Harders are now used to.
“It’s a big part of our life,” Amy added.
Donnie also has a closet stocked with medical supplies.
“He’s got lancets, test strips, extra syringes,” Amy described.
The supplies don’t come cheap.
“With tabs, alcohol wipes each week, we are spending $100-$150 dollars,” Amy said.
That doesn’t count the insulin.
“When Joe was first diagnosed, it was well over $200 dollars out of pocket with insurance,” Amy said.
Since 2002, the cost of insulin has increased more than 200 percent. In a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, it’s estimated spending on insulin went from $231 dollars to $736 dollars in decades time, which forced families like the Harders to make tough decisions.
Full story: http://news10.com/2017/10/04/diabetic-sticker-shock-the-high-price-of-staying-alive/
