A new study finds more than a million diabetics in the USA are rationing the insulin they depend on to keep them alive.
The news not surprising to Nicole Smith Holt, whose son died after he rationed insulin because it was too expensive for him to buy.
“He called me when I was at work and he said, I feel like I'm dying,” says Holt.
Holt has made it her mission to help others in the wake of the tragic death of her son, 26-year old Alex who died in 2017 of complications from rationing his insulin. Holt says she's not surprised by this study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Since her son's death, she has worked with lawmakers to create a safety net program, which allows diabetics with less than seven days’ worth of the lifesaving drug left to pay no more than $35 to get a onetime supply from their pharmacy.
It's a step in the right direction, but she says the price of insulin is still out control.
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“We've seen that over the past 20 years, the price of insulin has increased over 1,200%, making it very unaffordable,” Holt explains.
The study says one out of every six adults with insulin-dependent diabetes is skipping or reducing doses because they can't afford more.
Here in Minnesota, Nicole worked to get a bill passed - the Alex Smith Affordability Act - which is an emergency program for those who can't afford their insulin.
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The study found that rationing was higher among Black diabetics than their white and Hispanic counterparts. Middle income diabetics ration more than those with low incomes, likely because lower income Americans get some help from Medicaid.
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