When I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2006, I originally thought that I would be lucky and only have to deal with oral medications. Six years into managing this disease, oral medications were not cutting the issues and insulin shots were introduced. After a year, just the extended release was not making much difference. That was when I was introduced to seeing a endocrinologist and Diabetes America.
Upon my initial visit, I was introduced to using a "fast acting" insulin, Novolog. A decision to use this medication was dependent on which fast acting insulin was supported by my insurance company and if the co-pay was reasonable. One thing to remember, for me, my insurance company makes me pay full price on anything until I have reached my minimal deductible. After that, depending upon the insurance coverage level, you could pay 70-30, 80-20, or 90-10. So, at the beginning of each new year, one refill of my insulin can help me meet my deductible quickly - that is no joke.
So, yesterday, I had my 3 month visit with the endocrinologist and Diabetes America educator. When I got weighed, I had gained a few ounces, but overall, I was around the same weight I was at the dietician's office. However, here, I had gained weight from my last visit in January. I was not going to allow that to bother me because it is what it is.
I had to spend some time with the educator. I think she was disappointed with me because I am seeing the dietician on my eating. That is part of her job, but when I am there, it is always the same thing - Have you tried the measuring cups? How about the deck of cards for protein? So, it was nice not to talk about food, especially since I was hungry and they do not offer any peanut butter and crackers.
She was impressed that my blood sugar numbers were closer to normal and my A1C had dropped from 7.8 to 6.7. I was hoping to see a good A1C and I will take that. I just need to make sure to continue to eat well and such. However, she began discussing putting me onto a new medication.
One medication I am currently taking, Victoza, is not really an insulin. The medication is designed to help the current insulin that the body is producing to help lower blood sugar. It has also been known to help with losing weight. I have been using Victoza for awhile, but I am still using a large amount on the extended release, Toujeo, to help with lowering my blood sugar.
This new medication, Saxenda, is Victoza on steriods. It was found that while Victoza does help with weight loss, it will lead to a plateau. To help with that, a new formulation was created and you can inject more units than you could with Victoza. I was considered a good candidate for this medication and they were eager to have me use it.
I got two samples of the medication to take home. I inject myself with the maximum dosage of Victoza and 0.6 units of Saxenda. During this time, the educator went about the business to validate my insurance company would cover the medication and how much it would cover.
Luckily, I was smart enough to not put a lot of stack into this new medication. This morning, I found out that my insurance company would not cover the medication. Furthermore, the cost per month for the medication was $893. Good grief!
It really sickens me that we have to pay so much for medications. To make matters worse, you can only use those medications that the insurance company will cover because you know darn good and well that you cannot afford them otherwise.
Whether or not this country gets socialized medical coverage or not, this will always remain an issue. Patients out there who could really benefit from these types of medications will never have access because they cannot afford the insane price.
The last thing the educator said was "Maybe next year the price will be lower once it has been on the market for over a year." For some, that might be too late. It is just sad. It really takes the wind out of getting good results and feeling good about the work you put into doing it.
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