
Why Diabetes Test Strips are So Expensive
Diabetes Test Strips are the Most Expensive RX for Diabetics
I have been diabetic for nearly 10 years. I have Type 1 diabetes, which means that I am 100% insulin dependent and there is no "cure" for my disease, no matter how much I diet or exercise. An auto-immune reaction attacked the healthy beta cells in my pancreas, killing them off for good so that they will never make insulin again.
Because insulin is such a powerful drug, it is easy to overdose, causing life threatening hypoglycemia. Type 1 diabetics must calculate the amount of insulin to dose, based on a number of factors including: (1) how many carbohydrates will be ingested; (2) how long it has been since the last insulin shot; (3) activity level; and (4) stress level.
You might think that insulin would be the most expensive prescription for diabetics. Or perhaps glucose meters.
Nope. You can dose yourself and own a meter and lancet to poke your finger to measure blood sugar levels. However, without diabetes test strips, a diabetic cannot effectively manage this serious disease. Inexplicably, the test strips are the most expensive item that is required for diabetics to properly manage their disease.
I find this frustrating, to say the least. Not only because I am out-of-pocket additional funds (even with health insurance it runs me about $75 per month), but because my insurance company doubts my dedication to frequent testing to keep me healthy - and alive. Every time, I seek to refill my prescription, I get grief.
Why is this? Why are diabetes test strips so expensive?
Some People Sell Excess Diabetes Test Strip
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