One drug that is lifesaving and necessary for millions in America remains extremely costly and potentially out of reach for many who are in need. The price of insulin remains significantly high in the United States and is often far higher than it is in other countries where the drug is sometimes free and never unavailable to those in need. Around 15% of Americans who require insulin have said that they spend about 40% of all their money on the drug they need to simply stay alive. Even as some drugmakers offer different programs to help lower the out-of-pocket costs to their insured and uninsured patients, the cost is still often so high that people have an undue financial burden when trying to pay for it.
Those without insurance often pay hundreds per month or even more for the medication which requires multiple vials per month.
Some patients will ration their doses or use less than they should be in an attempt to save money, which ultimately leads to higher costs when these people are sent to an emergency room or hospitalized due to their condition. Insulin remains so highly priced for a few reasons, but one of the main reasons is that patent holders often extend the life of their patents by making small changes and improvements to them, which discourages generic versions from hitting the market. Drugmakers with exclusive rights are then able to charge whatever they want, even if that is not in the best interest of the people they aim to serve.
