Insulin Prices: Pumps, Pens, Syringes, And More
Insulin Prices: Pumps, Pens, Syringes, and More Medically reviewed by Lindsay Slowiczek, PharmD on September 21, 2018 Written by Jacquelyn Cafasso The price of insulin can be overwhelming, especially if you need it to stay healthy. Even with insurance, you could be paying hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket costs each month. Insulin is absolutely necessary for people with type 1 diabetes. Its often needed for people with type 2 diabetes as well. Roughly 7.4 million Americans with diabetes take insulin. If your diabetes requires insulin, its essential to learn how to get the cost down to something you can manage, while simultaneously learning how to control your condition. There are several types of devices available to deliver insulin, and each come with their own set of pros and cons. The best insulin device for you depends on many factors, including how much your blood sugar fluctuates each day and your lifestyle. Nowadays, cost is becoming an increasingly important factor to consider when deciding on a device. Vials and syringes: Pros, cons, and costs The most common way to inject insulin is with a vial and syringe (needle). Syringes are considered the cheapest form of insulin delivery, but theyre certainly not cheap at least not anymore. One study found that the price of insulin tripled in just 10 years. Vials of insulin can be either rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, or long-acting. This relates to how long they are effective in the bloodstream. Syringes usually cost between $15 and $20 for a box of 100 depending on where you get them from. Depending on where you live, you can purchase them over the counter or online at diabetes supplies stores. Vial prices vary for each brand. For example, Humalogs list price is roughly $275 per 10-mL vial . Admel Continue reading >>
Relion Insulin: Everything You Need To Know
For my patients who have no insurance, ReliOn products at Walmart are a lifesaver. In North Carolina, we never funded Medicaid expansion. Some people could receive Obamacare through the federal marketplace, but others were left in the gap where it was too costly for them. The tax penalty was less, so they took the penalty instead of buying coverage. For those with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in the no insurance gap, for those in the “Medicare donut hole,” and for those in disaster situations, ReliOn insulin is available at a very affordable cost. If you want insulin at a cheaper cost, it is important to be aware of some of the differences between ReliOn insulin and name brand insulins. Renee’s story Renee had Type 1 Diabetes, and couldn’t afford her insurance coverage here in North Carolina. After running her insurance cost numbers on the Federal Marketplace, she would have to pay $300 per month for catastrophic coverage that wouldn’t even cover her diabetes medications. Her husband had lost his job, and she worked at a grocery store, where she didn’t make a living wage, or have any insurance benefits. She came in crying. She needed help, because she had lost her insurance coverage, and she was about to run out of her insulin. She was afraid of what might happen to her, and what might happen to her little boy, if she ran out of her insulin. We referred her to a social worker who could help her with needed resources, and see if she could qualify for Medicaid, or start social security disability determination so she could get insurance when determined disabled. In the meantime, we spoke with her doctor, and he gave us conversion doses for Renee to switch to the ReliOn brand of insulins at Walmart. She had to take a combination of ReliOn Humulin N injections twi Continue reading >>
Verify: Can Diabetics Buy $25 'over-the-counter' Insulin At Walmart?
Can diabetics buy $25 'over-the-counter' insulin at Walmart? Yes, but it's technically 'behind-the-counter,' because even though you don't need to show a pharmacist a prescription, you still need to get it from a pharmacist. Currently the only insulin offered OTC is Human Insulin, NOT Analog. Marilee McInnis- Corporate Affairs, Global Communication at Walmart Sandy Walsh- U.S. Food & Drug Administration Press Officer Rising prescription drug prices are soaring, creating a national outcry and the very real decision to choose between food and life-saving medicine. More than 30 million people in the U.S. are living with Diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. One of you asked us whether insulin could be bought for a fraction of the price over the counter at one major retailer. "Would you and you team please verify this post from Facebook?," a Viewer wrote to the Verify team. "If this is not true, I feel so bad for the people who might be duped." With more than 135,000 shares, this Facebook post shows a a TV news graphic which quotes a viewer who claims you can purchase $25 insulin from Walmart without a prescription. This appeared during the TV stations "Viewers' Voice" segment, and the anchor ends by saying, "try it, if it works I'd like to hear from you." Our researchers reached out to a spokesperson from Walmart; they confirmed, yes, they offer less expensive insulin without a prescription. " ReliOn is the only private brand insulin on the market, retailing at $24.88 per vial, and $42.88 per box for the 70/30 pens," Marilee McInnis, a Walmart spokesperson, said. The drug is technically considered, 'behind the counter,' since you can't pick it off a shelf, but have to get it through the pharmacy. "It is the only insulin available over the counter, but Continue reading >>
Affordable Diabetes: Wal-mart Tops List
I get loads of questions about where to find discounted meds and other diabetes supplies. Especially over at the DiabeticConnect community, costs are one of the hottest topics. Until now, I've been referring folks to Patient Assistance Programs, neglecting the fact that if you have a little bit of cash on hand, you can get your D-stuff for amazing prices at your local Wal-Mart. Seriously. I was pretty stunned when I walked by the Wal-Mart Pharmacy booth at the ADA Conference last week and saw the price points: Glucose Meters starting at $9 Testing Strips starting at .39 cents each (!) A ReliOn home A1c test kit for $9 And get this: a 30-day prescription for just $4, or a 90-day supply for $10, for hundreds of oral drugs, including: Metformin Glyburide Glipizide Glimepiride Lovastatin Lisinopril Levothyroxine and many more, including arthritis and pain drugs, gastrointestinal meds, asthma and infection treatments, etc., etc. Wow. There was actually new research data presented at the ADA showing that Wal-Mart and Medco Mail Order are currently the least expensive drug vendors. Some excerpts from this report: "The total monthly out-of-pocket price for all 10 drugs most commonly prescribed to diabetes patients for any indication ranged from a low of $428.35 with Medco to a high of $641.90 with Rite Aid." "Dr. Jackness and colleagues found that metformin sold for $4.00 in the generic drug discount program at Wal-Mart and Target and for $5.00 at Kmart. But the local neighborhood pharmacies averaged $38.95 and pharmacy chain Rite Aid charged $39.99." Boo on Rite Aid, I say! And even though Wal-Mart may have taken some unethical missteps with its employment practices in the past, you have to appreciate their efforts to offer some financial relief to people with diabetes. The pr Continue reading >>
Walmart, Lilly Team Up To Provide Human Insulin To People With Diabetes
Lilly's Humulin brand of insulin to be dual-branded as Humulin ReliOn INDIANAPOLIS and BENTONVILLE, Ark., June 22, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ -- Walmart (NYSE: WMT) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced today they're teaming up to provide an affordable insulin option for people with diabetes. Beginning in mid-September, Lilly's Humulin(R) brand of insulin will be available in Walmart pharmacies across the U.S. under the dual-branded name Humulin(R) ReliOn(R), including 10 mL vials of Humulin(R) R U-100, Humulin(R) N, and Humulin(R) 70/30 formulations. Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, up from 21 million in 2005, according to the American Diabetes Association. Of those, about a quarter (27 percent) use insulin to manage blood sugar levels.(1) "With diabetes reaching epidemic proportions in America, it's more important than ever for participants in the healthcare system to work together to provide solutions to help people successfully manage this condition," said Keith Johns, Lilly's senior director for insulins in the U.S. "At Lilly, we strive to provide innovative, cost-effective therapies that help patients manage their diabetes. And as the nation's largest retailer, Walmart touches more consumers than any other retail organization in the country. This collaboration offers a unique opportunity to provide a low-cost therapy to large numbers of people affected by diabetes." Walmart has been a leader in providing quality, low-cost healthcare products to patients, pioneering and expanding access to affordable medications. Along with Humulin(R) ReliOn(R) insulin, Walmart also offers $9 diabetes management products, including the ReliOn Ultima Blood Glucose Meter, the ReliOn Ultima Blood Glucose Test Strips (20 ct) and the ReliOn A1c test (g Continue reading >>
Minnesota Gop Legislator Touts $25 Insulin At Walmart; Diabetics Say It Has Drawbacks
Minnesota GOP legislator touts $25 insulin at Walmart; diabetics say it has drawbacks GOP lawmaker's video criticized as irresponsible. The Facebook video shows state Rep. Jeremy Munson walking into Walmart without an insulin prescription and picking up a vial for $24.88. I hear testimony about people rationing their insulin, Munson, a Republican from Lake Crystal, tells the camera in a video thats been viewed more than 6,600 times. That shouldnt need to happen when theres affordable options out there. Democrats quickly condemned Munsons advice as irresponsible and dangerous, warning that different types of insulin cannot be treated the same way. But as state lawmakers remain locked in a fierce debate over how to help Minnesotans shelling out $300 for a couple weeks of insulin and who face deadly consequences if they cannot pay Munson is not the only person suggesting the cheaper option. The debate over the video comes as Republican and DFL lawmakers are holding hearings this week on competing programs to provide insulin to those who cant afford it. That has left policymakers confronting the difference between the expensive medication diabetics travel to Canada to procure and the $25 vials that can be bought over the counter. The cheaper regular insulin sold at Walmart became widely available in the early 1980s. Newer analog insulin products emerged in 1996 and grew in popularity, but their price has skyrocketed in recent years. The analog insulin kicks in faster than the traditional version and is more predictable, helping people avoid potentially dangerous peaks that lead to low blood sugar, said Matt Petersen, a vice president at the American Diabetes Association. Im strongly in favor of insulin analogs, just not so that the conversation goes so far to say, Youre go Continue reading >>
How Do I Get Lantus Insulin Less Expensively?
November 2, 2013-- How do I get Lantus Insulin Less Expensively? DCIN receives this question a few times a week from US caregivers of diabetic cats. I am often amazed by the question because of the “good” insulins for diabetic cats, Lantus can be the least expensive per unit. The problem often lies in knowing how to find the insulin inexpensively. (The hints I give also apply to Levemir, another human insulin often used by diabetic cats.) Your vet gave you a prescription that probably read “U100 Glargine/Lantus 10ml vial.” Lantus is the brand name for the generic insulin Glargine. Lantus is an insulin for humans and is only available from a human pharmacy (although some vets do hold some in stock). The company Sanofi makes Lantus, and no other companies currently make a generic Glargine because Sanofi still has an international patent on the insulin. That may change in 2014, and by then Sanofi may have developed a “second-generation” Lantus that is patent protected. Lantus is a U100 insulin, which describes the concentration of the insulin in the liquid suspension. A 10ml vial is the insulin’s containment device. It is a small glass bottle with a rubber stopper at the end that you pierce with a syringe. At a US retail pharmacy, a 10ml vial of Lantus can cost about $180 to $200. WOWZA! That does seem cause for sticker shock. A 10ml vial of U100 insulin holds 1000 units of insulin. At $200/vial, that is a price of $.20/unit. If your cat gets 2 units of insulin twice a day, that is $.80/day for its insulin (if you could completely use a vial of Lantus insulin). It would cost less each day to give your cat its life-saving medicine that to buy a soda from a vending machine. However, the problem with buying Lantus in a 10ml vial is that, properly handled, Lantus Continue reading >>
Basaglar Kwikpen U-100 Prescription Price Comparison | Compare Drug Prices | Scriptsave Wellrx
The entered address, city, state, or zip was not found. Please re-enter and try again. Please enter an address, city, state, or zip. Special characters not allowed in Drug Name field. Location information is unavailable Please enter your address, city, state, or zip in the field provided. The request to Geolocate timed out. Please enter your address, city, state, or zip in the field provided. An unknown error occurred. Please enter your address, city, state, or zip in the field provided. Compare Pharmacy Prescription Drug Prices ScriptSave WellRx is the smart and trusted resource that makes prescription medicines more affordable and easier to manage, because ScriptSave WellRx cares about helping people stay healthy. ScriptSave WellRx is free to join, and we're accepted nationwide at more than 62,000 pharmacies. Enter the prescription drugs you are searching for along with your address or zip code and compare pharmacy prices to find the best prescription drug prices in your area. You can also download our app and use its functionality on the go. How does the ScriptSave WellRx Card work? Simply present your ScriptSave WellRx card at any of the thousands of participating pharmacies nationwide to receive your instant savings. It's that easy! Just show your card to the pharmacist each time you pick up your prescription, whether you're filling for the first time or refilling. There is no paperwork to complete and no limit on usage. How much will I save with the ScriptSave WellRx card? Savings average 54%, and, in some cases, can be 80% or more.* Savings vary based upon the medication and the pharmacy you choose to use. Start saving big on all of your medicine needs with ScriptSave WellRx. Do all pharmacies accept the ScriptSave WellRx Card? ScriptSave WellRx is accepted at 6 Continue reading >>
Why Walmart Insulins Arent The Answer To High Insulin Prices
Why Walmart Insulins Arent the Answer to High Insulin Prices A diabetes advocate contrasts the performance of generic insulins versus the more popular brands. Some people dont understand why people with diabetes get upset at the price of insulin. They see insulin for sale at a relatively reasonable price in Walmart and dont see the problem. What they dont know is that these Walmart insulins just dont perform nearly as well as the more expensive insulins, and that gap in performance can have a very negative effect on the health of people with diabetes. There are three insulins available at Walmart for the price of $25 NPH, Regular, and 70/30 (a mix of the two). NPH was first approved by the FDA in 1950, Regular was approved in 1982, 70/30 in 1989. That means NPH has been around for 66 years, Regular for 33 years, 70/30 for 27 years. Take a moment and think about what healthcare was like in 1950. Now, Im sure someone is saying, Well, they must still work if they are still being sold. And they do, but they dont work in the same way. These insulins are not interchangeable. If a person with Type 1 diabetes were to switch from a Humalog/Lantus insulin regimen to Regular and NPH, it would drastically alter their lifestyle, making blood sugar control more irregular and raising A1C scores. The biggest issue is that whereas Lantus is steady, NPH peaks. A person using NPH must keep a very set dietary schedule, making sure to eat meals and snacks at certain times to correspond with peak times of an insulin dose. The strict schedule is difficult for everyone, but especially for children. They are unable to alter their daily schedules and must always be sure to eat at specific times. Even if theyre not hungry, they must eat to avoid low blood sugar. And if they are hungry, they ofte Continue reading >>
How To Find A Lantus Coupon
It looks like this page may be out of date. Please visit NerdWallet’s health hub for our latest content. Diabetics don’t have much of a choice when it comes to taking their insulin, and the costs can be very high, so a Lantus coupon can be invaluable. Paired with diabetic supplies like syringes and blood glucose testing equipment, diabetes is an expensive disease. But with a little bit of information and some resourcefulness, you may be able to save on your monthly prescriptions. Lantus is a long-acting insulin made by Sanofi-Aventis and prescribed to both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. Diabetics are unable to naturally produce or use insulin like most people, so they take injections of synthetic insulin to help regulate their blood sugar. Generic Lantus At this time, there is no generic form of Lantus available. However, that may soon change. The patents protecting Lantus from cheaper generic alternatives expired in February 2015, so less expensive forms of the drug may be coming. When this happens, opting for generic will likely be the best way to save on Lantus, and because of FDA requirements, you don’t have to worry about the generic version being less effective or less safe. Although some people avoid buying generics because they are afraid they won’t work as well as the name brands, those fears are largely unfounded. Lantus coupons from the manufacturer One carton of Lantus can cost close to $400 without insurance, according to GoodRx.com, though Lantus may very well be part of your insurance formulary. Currently, the maker of the drug offers a Lantus Savings Card. According to its website, the card can reduce your prescription cost to no more than $25. However, it also says there is a maximum benefit of $100 off each prescription for the duration of the pr Continue reading >>
Walmarts $25 Insulin Cant Fix The Diabetes Drug Price Crisis
Walmarts $25 insulin cant fix the diabetes drug price crisis The US chain offers a low-cost option, but its far from ideal for all patients. At Walmart pharmacies, people can purchase a vial of Novo Nordisks Novolin ReliOn Insulin for less than $25. Health care executives faced the ire of lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday, amid a growing outcry from patients whove been forced to ration insulin because of soaring prices. I dont know how you people sleep at night, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) told a panel of insulin manufacturers and drug industry intermediaries assembled for a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on insulin prices. I just want you to know your days are numbered. While the executives fumbled to explain themselves over the course of two days of questioning , one solution to the insulin access crisis resurfaced on social media : Patients should just buy cheap insulin at Walmart. For context, the cost of the four most popular insulins has tripled over the past decade , forcing many of the millions of Americans with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who rely on the drug to skimp on or skip doses. Walmart indeed offers a relatively inexpensive choice, essentially over the counter. People can go to pharmacies in stores nationwide and, without a prescription, purchase a vial of Novo Nordisks Novolin ReliOn Insulin for less than $25. (People with diabetes can require between one and six vials of insulin per month.) But theres a problem here: This low-cost option is far from ideal for all patients. Ultimately, Walmart-ism, as diabetes advocates call it, reveals a lot about what the debate around the insulin drug pricing crisis has become: a big blame game, filled with distractions from whats really driving up drug prices. Doctors and diabetes advocates point out t Continue reading >>
Otc Insulin: What To Know Before You Buy | Everyday Health
RELATED: Why Is Insulin So Expensive? (And What to Do if You Cant Afford It) Despite the seemingly increasing use of OTC insulin, healthcare providers want people with diabetes to know that the injections arent one to one with prescription insulin. Thus, people interested in saving money by using this insulin option need to take certain steps before doing so. Why People Sometimes Turn to OTC Insulin for Blood Sugar Control Why Is Insulin So Expensive? (And 4 Tips to Afford Yours) Dr. Goldstein decided to research OTC insulin because she prescribes ReliOn brand insulin as the least expensive option for people without health insurance in her clinical practice. Insulin prices have risen dramatically in recent years, nearly tripling from 2002 to 2013 according to an article published in April 2016 in theJournal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) . In March 2019, Eli Lilly announced it would sell a cheaper generic version of its Humalog 100 insulin for about $137 a vial, effectively cutting the price of the original in half. Other fixes include Cigna and Express Scripts offering a $25 cap on out-of-pocket insulin costs for its consumers in participating plans. Jennifer Trujillo, PharmD, CDE , associate professor at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Aurora, says she also has patients ask about cheaper options. I think we have to accept the fact that some patients dont have an option but to use the least expensive option available, says Dr. Trujillo. For some patients, this is the only alternative they have. Besides people without health insurance, Trujillo says that people with high copays or high-deductible plans might be considering OTC insulin. People on Medicare in the donut hole , a coverage gap where patients ar Continue reading >>
The Cost Of Insulin
The price of insulin has more than tripled in ten years. Not everybody pays full price, but many find the cost of insulin complicates their life. This week, we’ll cover why insulin prices are so high. Next week, we’ll address what to do about it. According to this story on CBS News, people with diabetes are “cutting back [on their insulin doses] or even going without the drug,” putting them at greater risk for complications. Insulin costs have soared from $100–$200 per month a few years ago to $400–$500 a month now. CBS News quotes a college student saying her bill for insulin has risen from $130 to $495 per month. She has given up her insulin pump and gone back to injections because of expense. One of her friends has cut her dose down to 80% of what’s ordered to save money. This has become common practice for many. A doctor in Montana reported that insulin prices greatly complicate people’s care. “I have patients who tell me that they have to make a decision between food and insulin, and their rent and insulin.” Why is this happening? When insulin was discovered the 1920s, the doctors who found it gave it away. It immediately started saving lives for people with Type 1 diabetes. Now insulin has become a $24-billion-a-year market globally and is predicted to pass $48 billion in only five more years. And people around the world who need it can’t afford it. There are several causes for the price spikes, but many of them come down to America’s pretend “free market” approach to health care. We are seeing these problems now with the controversy over one brand of epinephrine injections, whose manufacturer increased their price by 500% and then paid their CEO a nearly $19 million salary. Here are some ways American economics are making insulin unaff Continue reading >>
You Can Buy Insulin Without A Prescription, But Should You?
As anyone who needs insulin to treat diabetes can tell you, that usually means regular checkups at the doctor’s office to fine-tune the dosage, monitor blood-sugar levels and check for complications. But here’s a little known fact: Some forms of insulin can be bought without a prescription. Carmen Smith did that for six years when she didn’t have health insurance, and didn’t have a primary care doctor. She bought her insulin without a prescription at Wal-Mart. “It’s not like we go in our trench coat and a top hat, saying, ‘Uh I need the insulin,'” says Smith, who lives in Cleveland. “The clerks usually don’t know it’s a big secret. They’ll just go, ‘Do we sell over-the-counter insulin?'” Once the pharmacist says yes, the clerk just goes to get it, Smith says. “And you purchase it and go about your business.” But it’s still a pretty uncommon purchase. Smith didn’t learn from a doctor that she could buy insulin that way. In fact, many doctors don’t know it’s possible. When she no longer had insurance to help pay for doctors’ appointments or medicine, Smith happened to ask at Wal-Mart if she could get vials of the medicine without a prescription. To figure out the dose, she just used the same amount a doctor had given her years before. It was a way to survive, she says, but no way to live. It was horrible when she didn’t get the size of the dose or the timing quite right. “It’s a quick high and then, it’s a down,” Smith says. “The down part is, you feel icky. You feel lifeless. You feel pain. And the cramps are so intense — till you can’t walk, you can’t sit, you can’t stand.” Smith’s guesswork put her in the emergency room of MetroHealth, Cleveland’s public hospital, several times across six years. The av Continue reading >>
Express Scripts Offers Diabetes Patients A $25 Cap For Monthly Insulin
Express Scripts Offers Diabetes Patients a $25 Cap for Monthly Insulin Drug makers, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers face mounting pressure from Congress and the public to reduce the high list prices of drugs like insulin. A Type 1 diabetes patient filling his insulin pump at home. Express Scripts announced a plan on Wednesday to limit out-of-pocket costs for insulin to $25 a month. Credit...Kim Raff for The New York Times Consumers whose drug benefits are managed by Express Scripts could see their out-of-pocket costs for insulin limited to $25 a month under a plan announced on Wednesday. The move is aimed at addressing rising anger over the cost of the lifesaving product, whose list price has skyrocketed in recent years. Express Scripts said about 700,000 people filed a claim for insulin last year through its Cigna or Express Scripts plans. The average monthly savings for those whose employers opted into the plan would be about $16 a month. Insurers and drug manufacturers have been under pressure to show that they are doing something about the rising list price of drugs, in particular insulin, which many people with diabetes need to survive. The average price of insulin, versions of which have been around since the 1920s, roughly doubled to about $450 a month in 2016 from around $234 a month in 2012, according to the Health Care Cost Institute . And the cost has risen even higher since 2016, putting people without insurance and those with high-deductibles at risk of rationing their doses and, in some cases, going without treatment. For people with diabetes, insulin can be as essential as air, said Dr. Steve Miller, the executive vice president and chief clinical officer of Cigna, which merged last year with Express Scripts . We need to ensure these individuals f Continue reading >>
