Cost of Diabetic Supplies

     Today insulin prices are as high as they have ever been. The cost of diabetes has risen by 55 percent, from $3,819 to $5,917, from 2014 to 2019 (Tseng 1). A vial of Insulin Aspart, 10 milliliters, costs between $2.28 - $3.42 to produce, but they charge the diabetic around $181.91 per vial. A typical diabetic goes through one to two vials a month meaning that they could be paying around $363.82 per month. Not every diabetic and their family can afford this. A recent study in Illinois, from the Diabetes Daily, 1,700 diabetics were being questioned. 44 percent of the 1,700 participants reported that they struggled financially to afford insulin in 2019 and 2020 (Report to the General Assembly on Insulin Pricing 6). Every year, on average a diabetic will pay $4,365 for insulin a year. Without insurance, diabetics would be paying much more for their insulin. Adding onto the insulin that they need, they are required to pay for the proper equipment needed. A glucose monitor is between $40 - $60 and the test trips are around $100. In total, yearly, being a diabetic costs $4,525, which is expensive.

Image: Modern Healthcare