OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The cost of insulin can have deadly consequences.
The cost is seven times higher than it was two decades ago, but it's something some can't afford to go without.
Chris Dunn, the mom of two type one diabetics, says their family insurance has served her kids well. But that doesn't leave her with nothing to worry about.
When her 19-year-old son turns 26, the family insurance won't be an option. What his insurance options will be then aren't clear.
"The idea of him, rolling off our family insurance, it really weighed heavy on my mind, like losing sleep over this," Dunn said. "Because that's when tragedies happen, literally, we lose lives because people aren't taking the insulin that they need to survive the correct amount because they can't afford the insulin."
Dunn, the associate director of the Nebraska and Iowa chapter of JDRF — a group supporting type one diabetics — has heard the stories of shock from parents of newly diagnosed children: "They go to the pharmacy to pick up their medication, and the pharmacy needs a payment of $2,000 to take home life support for their child. And if they don't have that money, it's quite literally a decision between paying for food, paying for rent, and paying for the life support for your child."
Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly on Wednesday announced they're capping the out-of-pocket cost of insulin to $35 a month and cutting prices.
Last year, JDRF announced a partnership with Civica to manufacture low-cost insulin.
"It's nice that we've got this great step forward," Dunn said of the Eli Lilly announcement. "But we've got a ways to go. We still have additional pharmaceutical companies that also make insulin that we need to get in alignment with this."
Plus, she said some don't react as well to certain brands, so the news won't necessarily impact everyone who needs insulin.
Charles Drew Health Center
Kenny McMorris, the CEO of Omaha's Charles Drew Health Center, says they see the impact of overpricing medications every day.
"We have patients that come into our health center that are making life decisions on what their next meal is going to be, how they're going to get their kids to school, how are they going to pay some of their bills," he said.
He said access to life-saving medications has to be equitable.
"We have to figure out a better way to reduce costs in this country," he said. "We have to figure out a better way to make sure that people get access to the life-saving medications that they need."
He said Charles Drew recognizes the issue with its sliding fee discount program.
"We'll continue to keep doing our part," he said. "But we really need the greater systems. I think that a lot of the (health) things that we're dealing with are the symptoms of poverty, access to medications, reduction in costs in any way, shape or form related to health care goes a long way and towards economic empowerment."
McMorris said people of color are more likely to have diabetes and be insulin-dependent.
Diabetics "tend to also have other chronic conditions," McMorris said. "So, we've got to do everything we can as a community to make sure that we reduce health care costs."
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