
Managing Diabetes Costs with High Co-pays or No Insurance
Supplies for managing diabetes – blood glucose monitors, test strips, prescription medications, syringes, etc. – can run nearly $8,000 each year for those without insurance.
Though the number of uninsured Americans declined over the past 12 months, many people remain unable to cover the costs of diabetes care. Plus, some individuals with insurance have co-pay expenses that strain the monthly budget.
Money-Saving Tips
Dr. Irl Hirsch of the University of Washington, Seattle, and a type 1 diabetic, offers the following eight tips for keeping diabetes expenses to a minimum:
Be aware of “bad” ways to cut corners and save on diabetes spending. It is dangerous to save money by using “off-shore” blood glucose meters since they might not give accurate readings, using the same infusion set for longer than three days, monitoring blood glucose less often, or using NPH insulin without adequate testing to prevent low blood sugar.
Although common sense and extra care is required, some supplies can be reused or their use extended. Some individuals use the same lancet for a few fingersticks instead of a new lancet for every one. Other people wear CGM sensors more than the recommended period of seven days without experiencing a decrease in accuracy.
Human insulins (e.g., Novolin, Humulin) are much easier on the pocket book than analog insulins. Though many doctors and patients prefer analog insulins, NPH is a choice for those on a tight budget and are less concerned about hypoglycemic episodes. Using human insulin instead of an analog can save people up to $4,900 per year.
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