Diabetes presents an array of challenges and difficulties that can vary depending on your age, gender, family situation, and other factors. Living with the issue means having to constantly check your blood sugar, follow a strictly regimented diet, and live with a number of potential side effects and other conditions.
There’s still good news. Diabetes can be treated very effectively in a large number of cases by working closely with your doctor, paying attention to your eating and exercise habits, and being regular with your medication.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of illness, associated with obesity and excessive weight, while Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks its very own pancreatic cells that are responsible for producing insulin. This then requires the individual to compensate for that by replacing the insulin by injection or pump for the rest of their life.
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the country according to the CDC.
Among the other issues, diabetics have to live with is another stressful one: cost. The cost of managing the illness has now become a significant burden on the average U.S. resident. For those with Type 1 diabetes, the yearly cost of insulin nearly doubled between 2012 and 2016, according to research by the Health Care Cost Institute. These costs increased from an average yearly price of $2,864 per patient in 2012 to $5,705 in 2016, according to the researches. Another Upwell True Cost of Diabetes Report that was released in 2018 shows that 45% of people with diabetes have let go of care at some point because they couldn’t afford it.
The report also found that one in every three people spent an average of $100-$500 of their own money for diabetes doctor care over the last year and that an additional 16% paid a surprising $1,000-$5,000 out of pocket over the last year to treat diabetes complications. From a perspective of cost, patients should make use of tools and resources that help them compare drug prices transparently and lock down the prescriptions that fit into their personal budget. Some organizations work directly with pharmacies to create personalized medication plans at the most affordable prices possible in order to help patients save the most money they can.
