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Don't let the economy get your diabetes down
Pharmacist explains ways to cut costs without hurting your health
As the bad economy affects personal budgets, pharmacists like Lee Mork become increasingly concerned about their customers' health – especially if they have diabetes.
"We're seeing more and more patients not filling their prescriptions. Medicines are sitting on pharmacy shelves – unclaimed," says Mork, pharmacy manager for Allina Medical Clinic.
"Cutting back on diabetes pills, insulin or blood-glucose testing equipment may save some money. But it can make your diabetes go out of control, sending you to the hospital and causing more medical bills."
When people are struggling financially, Pharmacist Lee Mork encourages them to ask their diabetes educator or health care provider (doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant) about state or federal assistance.
Review your diabetes plan.
According to a recent Associated Press analysis, managing diabetes can cost $350 to $900 a month for those without health insurance. Emergency room visits and short hospital stays easily top $10,000. Long-term complications – such as amputation, vision loss, nerve damage, heart attack or stroke – can cost much more.
Pharmacist Lee Mork suggests the following to help bring costs down – only when approved by your doctor or diabetes educator:
- Choose generic medicine over brand-name drugs. After a drug becomes available in a generic form, some insurance companies won't pay for the brand-name version. Not all doctors automatically prescribe generics. Ask your doctor about writing prescriptions in a way that would allow your pharmacist to use a generic alternative when appropriate.
- Buy store-brand equipment instead of name-brand if you do not have health insurance. Store-brand blood glucose meters and strips usually are priced less than name-brands and work as well. If you have health insurance, be sure to check on your coverage before buying a specific kind of meter or test strip.
- Ask about your blood glucose testing schedule."If your diabetes is in control, you might be able to test your blood glucose less often and use fewer test strips," says Mork. "But you should never do this without talking to your doctor or diabetes educator."
Look into financial assistance.
When people are struggling financially, Pharmacist Lee Mork encourages them to ask their doctor or diabetes educator about state or federal assistance.
"Because of the economy, the waiting line for program approval may be longer, but it's worth looking into," says Mork.
Figuring out what programs you may qualify for and then making sure your application is complete can be difficult. Allina Hospitals & Clinics has a program to help patients through this process.
Susan Protzner of the Allina Prescription Assistance Program explains, "If you're having trouble paying for your prescriptions, ask your Allina Medical Clinic doctor for a referral to the Allina Prescription Assistance Program. We can help you determine what programs you may qualify for and guide you through the required paperwork."
Protzner gives examples of drug companies that offer free test strips, diabetes pills or insulin.
| Company |
Program |
Eligibility |
More information |
| Roche Diagnostics |
A 90-day supply of ACCU-CHEK® test strips is sent to your doctor's office or to your home. |
You must be without health insurance and meet certain income guidelines. The program may help those with Medicare Part D. |
Roche Patient Assistance Program: www.accu-chek.com
|
| Sanofi-Aventis as part of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance |
A 90-day supply of Lantus insulin is sent to your doctor's office. |
You cannot have prescription insurance or be eligible for any federal or state programs. Your income should be below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. |
Partnership for Prescription Assistance: www.pparx.org
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| Eli Lilly and Company's Lilly Cares Program |
A 120-day supply of Humalog insulin is sent to your doctor's office. |
You cannot have prescription insurance or be eligible for any government programs. You should meet certain income guidelines. |
Lilly Cares: www.lillycares.com |
| Novo Nordisk Diabetes Patient Assistance Program |
A 90-day supply is sent to your doctor's office. Program includes NovoFine needles, Prandin® pills and these types of insulin: GlucaGen, Levemir, Novolin and NovoLog. |
You must be without health insurance and have an income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. People over the age of 65 are not eligible. |
Novo Nordisk Diabetes Patient Assistance Program: www.novonordisk-us.com
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While the Allina Prescription Assistance Program helps qualified Allina patients apply for the above programs, Protzner says you can apply on your own. "Just be sure your application is complete – with all required prescriptions and proof of income attached."
What is the federal poverty level?
Many financial assistance programs say that you need to be a certain percentage below the federal poverty level to receive the help they offer.
Federal poverty guidelines are set each year by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines help determine eligibility for a many programs, including ones that help pay for diabetes care.
Many of the programs discussed in this article offer help to people with annual incomes that are 200 or 250 percent below the federal poverty level. The table below outlines those percentages according to the 2009 federal poverty guidelines.
| Persons in family |
200 percent – annual income |
200 percent – monthly income |
250 percent – annual income |
250 percent – monthly income |
| 1 (single person) |
$21,660.00 |
$1,805.00 |
$27,075.00 |
$2,256.25 |
| 2 (married couple or 1 parent with 1 child) |
$29,140.00 |
$2,428.33 |
$36,425.00 |
$3.035.42 |
| 3 |
$36,620.00 |
$3,051.67 |
$45,775.00 |
$3,814.58 |
| 4 |
$44,100.00 |
$3,675.00 |
$55,125.00 |
$4,593.75 |
| 5 |
$51,580.00 |
$4,298.33 |
$64,475.00 |
$5,372.92 |
| 6 |
$59,060.00 |
$4,921.67 |
$73,825.00 |
$6,152.08 |
| 7 |
$66,540.00 |
$5,545.00 |
$83,175.00 |
$6,931.25 |
| 8 |
$74,020.00 |
$6,168.33 |
$92,525.00 |
$7,710.42 |
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Allina Financial Assistance Services Allina Community Pharmacies Health news: Many seniors not selecting lowest cost Medicare drug plans
Source: Associated Press / KARE 11 News, Diabetics skim on lifesaving care in recession, April 13, 2009; Lee Mork, PharmD, pharmacy manager, Allina Medical Clinic; Susan Protzner, administrative assistant, Allina Prescription Assistance Program; Wall Street Journal, Many drug prescriptions are now going unfilled, April 8, 2009
First published: 04/30/2009
Last updated: 05/08/2009
Reviewed by: Mary Frederick, RN, MS, CDE, diabetes program manager, Allina Medical Clinic - Diabetes Education; Dawn McCarter, RN, BSN, CDE, diabetes program coordinator, Allina Medical Clinic - Diabetes Education
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