last night during the presidential debate, trump argued that his policies made insulin so cheap that it is “like water”, which is something that couldn’t be further from the truth. the price of insulin is an ongoing issue in this country that he has done no good for
the united states is a country that has some of the most of not the most expensive insulin prices in the world. for reference, it can cost a diabetic upwards of $300 for one vial of insulin without insurance. that vial of insulin lasts a few days to weeks depending on the person
well it must be expensive to produce right? WRONG! it costs $5 or less to produce one vial of insulin, and the united states charges HUNDREDS for just one vial. for comparison, canada uses the same insulin and companies, yet their prices are all less than $50 per vial
why is this a big deal? there are millions of diabetics, both type one and type two in this country. of those millions, many don’t have insurance to cover the whole expense of their insulin, and some may not have insurance at all! now let’s calculate these expenses
diabetics can go through 2-6 (on average this isn’t the same for everyone obviously) vials of insulin per month depending on their eating habits and insulin resistance. at $300 average per vial this is between $600- $1800 per month without good or any coverage just to SURVIVE
but why do this if insulin is so cheap to make? if other countries can sell it for cheap why can’t the united states? because the drug companies can get away with it. there is also no generic insulin available and 90% of insulin is owned by the same 3 companies.
other companies aren’t able to make insulin for cheaper because of the patents that are already created and set in place. with all of this, you may be wondering the effect that these prices can have on diabetics. sure the price is high, but what effects can it cause physically?
because of the outrageous price of insulin in this country, many diabetics are forced to ration their insulin. without insulin or without giving the correct dosage of insulin, this can cause high blood sugars which have SERIOUS medical impacts on diabetics.
these impacts can include kidney failure, blindness, and even death in some cases because diabetics will fall into ketoacidosis which is caused by high blood sugars. people are suffering severe complications and even DEATH because they can’t afford the basic medication to live
across the world, 18% of people ration their insulin at least once a year, but in the united states this happens for 26% of diabetics as of 2019. even if rationing isn’t resorted to, diabetics in the us shouldn’t pay hundreds for a medication that is $50 max in other countries
so no donald trump, insulin is not like water. is the 6th most expensive liquid in the world behind different types of venom, LSD, and perfume. the difference is this is a liquid needed for the survival of MILLIONS!!
i’m not sure what water you’re drinking, but i’m not drinking a $30,000 water bottle.
something needs to be done about the price of insulin in the united states. companies are making gigantic profits over a cheaply produced drug that is needed for the survival of MILLIONS! please register to vote, the lives of so many people including myself depend on it
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