How does everyone afford to treat Diabetes?
I’m asking because my boyfriend is recently diagnosed with Diabetes. The past two months, with all the Metformin, Avandia, Lantus, Novalog, needles, gauze, alcohol, meter strips, etc. We are struggling. His health insurance only provides $1200 gross towards prescriptions PER YEAR.
We are very quickly coming up on that $1200 and it hasn’t even been 6 months. I’m curious to know, are we doing something wrong? Why can’t we afford this treatment? It seems like a good many Americans have Diabetes, how does everyone else afford the many prescriptions? We’re freaking out, because we don’t have the money for rent, gas, food, etc.
We feel like the Diabetes treatment has to come first, but all these co-pays for specialists and prescriptions has drained our wallets, we can’t buy food, nevermind entertainment. How does everyone else afford this?! What can we do?
Gauze, alcohol, don’t need em. I reuse my needles saves money and not such a hassle disposing. I use those needles for quite a while also, although not many health professionals would recommend this. I got a box of 100 needles in 2000 just ran out last year, and i do about 4 or five shots a day. See an endocrinologist if you aren’t already, mine gives me samples of lantus and novolog, so I haven’t payed for insulin in about three years. You pay more to see this kind of doctor but the benefits are worth it. I have also seen the diabetic strip for sale on ebay, but they are probably stolen from some wallmart. So 100 strips per month is about 1200 per year….go get em.
It is hard at best. My treatments were running about 3600/year.
Much depends on your insurance and your financial status. Many drug companies now have programs that provide meds and supplies for free to people in need. So that is one option. See the link below.
Depending on where you live, you can go to clinics: example: NY Presbytarian Hospital has a free clinic for those in need. As I understand it, they also provide supplies. The MD’s are the same as in the private practice, the only difference is that there iis no choice of whom you see when you go. The also have all of the MD’s on site. They are good.
See if you have options to your current insurance. Do you have better/more complete coverage if you use an HMO? DO you get better coverage if you use generic or insurance carrier approved products? Can you get a discouunt if you buy in bulk (like 3 mos at a time)?
You can use cheaper alternatives to equipment/see if you can get supplies from the company you use.
Discuss some alternatives with your endocrinologist. See if there is any way to reduce the amounts of carbs and sugars he intakes. Also exercise will reduce his insulin intake.
Finally resist the temptation to ruse needles and other penetrating equipment. It does’nt save as much as you’d think, it gets more painful each time you reuse a needle (each injection dulls the tip a little more). It also can lead to contamination of insulin and infection.
This isn’t much but I hope it helps. good luck
In order to keep your boy friend’s blood sugar level under control, read the following paragraph to update your knowledge about diabetes:
You need not to panic to visit a doctor. There are no Allopathic medicines available in the market that will cure the diabetic conditions of humans but they will control the disorder up to certain levels. The disease is developed due to eating disorders and hereditary. In the first place, I have never accepted diabetes as disease but considered it to be a disorder. The medicine is readily available at home in the form of natural products and you need not to go to market to purchase expensive medicines. To keep the sugar level under control, follow my suggestions and see the difference. Drink the juice of one bitter gourd, one cucumber and one tomato on empty stomach in the morning on a regular basis (drink this juice twice a day if you are insulin dependent) until you start feeling relief and your blood sugar level starts decreasing and continue further for a very long time until your sugar level reaches border line. The sugar level will certainly come down. Eat plenty of cucumber before meal to quench your thrust and to fill your empty stomach. Cucumbers are considered and proved to be very good for diabetic patients. Diabetic patients are always hungry to eat but can not eat all. Avoid banana, mango, custard apple and sweets like ice cream, pastry and cold drinks totally. If you are insulin dependent, even eating rice would be very harmful. You can eat fruits like guava, pineapple, pomegranate, papaya, muskmelon and watermelon. Taking one tea-spoon Fenugreek powder and quarter tea-spoon cinnamon powder on empty stomach, before breakfast daily, would be beneficial to diabetic patients. Regular brisk walking for one hour daily would be the best ideal medicine for diabetic patients. Cut down on non-vegetarian, fast, spicy and oily food, aerated cold drinks and foods rich in calories. Correct constipation. Avoid alcohol and tobacco also. Tea and coffee are also bad for health because they promote calcium excretion from the body and calcium loss from bones. Drink plenty of water daily. Take one tablet of Diabecon (By Himalaya an Herbal Health Care Company in India) twice a day as a maintenance dose. Take care and be in good health.
My aunt cured herself naturally by drinking a little cup of Goji everyday. It’s this juice from the Hilmalayas. You can get it in the States or in 2 cities in Canada. It won’t affect his medication but he won’t need it anymore. You see results upto 2 weeks of drinking a little cup a day. Good Luck! http://www.goji-berries-juice.com/
Was your boyfriend given a name brand meter like One Touch when he was diagnosed? Ditch it, the strips are grossly overpriced. Target has a meter for less than $15 and the strips cost only half as much as name brands. I buy my meds two weeks at a time because I only have so much money at any given time, I’m a waitress. Alot of pharmacies want to charge more for this, calling it a “dispensing fee” but my pharmacist (also at Target) doesn’t do this because he knows I’m on a limited income. It’s hard, diabetes has become a big business, and when there’s money to be made, the vultures will come out and squeeze every drop of blood from us.
THANKS COCONUT!!!!!!!
I LOVE NATURALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know of someone that have diabetes and had an open wound almost 1 feet in size on the leg. Fully recovered on the wound and the sugar level back to normal after taking a product call Colostrum for about 3 months. That is not a medicine for diabetes but the good news is, doctor certify cure!
I am horrified to hear of your dilemma, I am diabetic too and thank goodness I live in The UK. In the UK diabetics don’t pay for any medication ( even if it isn’t diabetes related ), neither do we have to pay for eye tests. The stress of all this is going to make your boyfriends sugar levels raise, please make sure he is careful and I am so very sorry that I can’t give you any positive answers. Under no circumstances must he stop taking any of his medication without firstly consulting his doctor. Is there a diabetic association in America who may be able to give you some help and advice. This story has really upset me and made me realise how fortunate I am.
Very best wishes.
you have your priorities backwards. think how to reduce the medicines… i bet that his sugar is out of control, that is the reason for all the medicine….it is so simple a child can solve this problem…stop eating the refined carbs. increase your fruits vegetables beans whole grains for more fiber and walk 45 min a day..i guarantee that the need for medicine will be cut in half
I am a diabetic. Originally I was treating it with the metformin. I have insurance that only wants a co-pay and has no limit. However, that is not the answer you need.
I am currently doing it on diet alone, and that is because of my wonderful health food store lady that gave me a book to read. The Yeast Syndrome by John Parks Trowbridge. If your bf has a yeast syndrome in addition to his diabetes, then it will make his diabetes worse. My blood sugars went down 20 points after getting on the anti-yeast diet – because it is stricter on no sugars than any diabetic diet. In other words, the ultimate answer is to change his diet so that diet alone controls the diabetes.
It is do-able.
I am a diabetic and use much the same meds as you have listed. However, I have CareFirst (bluecross/blueshield) Ins. I have not heard of such a limit on prescriptions. Most of the time is appears to be divided by types/classes of drugs: generic (cost less), name brands (middle cost), and new brands (expensive). My strips are free – Ins pays for it and two boxes at a time. Lantus/Novalog costs are for co-pay as is Metformin and other drugs. There is no limit per year. If that is what your insurance company covers, then can you switch companies for better coverage? And, YES, it’s a struggle with both of us – we manage since we both are diabetic!
Sara: Please go to http://www.mendosa.com and his blog. I read this am that several states mandate insurance companies doing business within their state must cover certain diabetic supplies. Check it out.
dnno
I am vrey goo just ask me anything!
Have you tried Partnership for Perscription Assistance? My insurance recently ended and I had no idea how I was going to get my supplies, but my doctor told me about PPA and now I’m able to get my Lantus, Novolog, and Metformin (don’t know about Avandia) for free. They didn’t offer anything for my needles so I called BD (who makes my needles) and they said they have an assistance program for 3 boxes (100/box) for $15. You might want to try to call the manufacturers on the other stuff to see if they offer any assistance. Hope this helps and Good luck!!!
I am a BSN/RN and I cannot believe some of these answers. You have quite a few good ones from intelligent, helpful people. Then you have Guy R (please see this website about reusing needles. I can’t tell you how many ulcers I have treated on diabetics for this very reason. http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_06_341a.htm) telling people it’s ok to reuse your needles. IT ISN’T!
But the most idiotic has to be “doowopper” with an IQ of about 12. Pull your head out of your bottom and educate yourself about diabetes. It is a DISEASE. You can’t just change your diet and make it go away. “i bet that his sugar is out of control”. Do you really know so little about a disease that affects 230 million people worldwide? Please don’t answer any more questions that require your brain to function.
hi
i agree its difficult
being a doctor i know its tough sometimes on patients budget
i suggest you look at and ask your doctor about
para diabetic controls
like exercise and dietary control
and self regular blood sugar checkup
i hope it will help and get your costs down
i know you have had lots of answers but read this one…….
My mom is one but it is really expensive. It is just a part of life. but my mom bought some of her things on ebay and they were more than half the cost! Also my mom just went to the diabetic doctor and got a new humoluage ” pen ” and your boyfriend will probobly know about it. But with this pen she doesnt have to take “shots” any more she just uses the pen and it works like one but all she has to buy for it is insulin and the needles. but i hope everything goes good for you guys and remember take good care of your self and make sure he gets all the vitamins he needs and reserch all that he can use get cook book and cook things they make tasty things sugar free, and use splenda as an alternative for sugar and my mom just found oatmeal and cereal bars…. keep your eyes open and good luck to you all. Also im sure it is harder for you but we have a family of 5 and we are OK but also my mom has a condition in her feet and she can hardly walk ( nerve damage) but this is really expensive. also search insurance and refer back to your doctor. humm try not let himeat bread only occasionally becuase of the high amout of sugar! and my mom got these sharp pains in her feet ( heels mainly) and we think that our 7 mile walk up hill in colorado. but please let him klnow that if he has any symptoms of something unusaul tell him to check with a doctor…. you dont want to wait and have more than 50 thousand dollars in hospital bills. but my mom has had this conition for about a year and now she can walk but has to wear supports on her heels. so dont wait even if it is simple. i hope no-one has to go through what she did she had pills and lots of dedication to things. once again good luck
Find out if there’s a hospital in your area that is doing some sort of study of diabetes and diabetics. They might be studying foods, medicines or lifestyle changes. If so, you might be able to get supplies and medical tests done for free. Look for a large teaching hospital.
First of all i’d go see the doctor and ask him to change the medications while keeping the budget restrictions in mind. I know for example that Avandia is very expensive.
Secondly most drug manufacturers have programs to help those who can’t afford their medications.You may well be eligible for these programs.
You should look into medicare coverage. If you are only making so much money medicare should cover you. Note: at the end of the year you can claim your medication on your tax forms. You MAY get the whole thing back, ask your accountant. Also, you should look into other insurance coverage from your job. They may have prescription coverage separate and or flexible spending. Which is like a savings for medical visits, prescriptions & so on. I am sorry that you are having such a hard time. Good Luck.