As we pass the 1/6 mark of 2023, relevant news starting streaming in. We have news about our upcoming travel plans and more importantly, breaking news surrounding insulin. Let’s start with the more paramount update about the life-saving medication:
Eli Lilly Announced It Will Cap The Cost On Insulin
If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you’ll remember discussing the price of insulin in the past. Despite the cost of manufacturing insulin being very low (around $6), the cost of purchasing a vial has increased 600% over the past twenty years to nearly $300. That is quite the markup.
Want to know the basics of insulin? Start here.
In the past couple years, there has been progress in making insulin affordable. Places like Walmart started carrying analog insulin – newer and safer than the human insulin that went viral as an affordable option for diabetics. California announced a $100 million investment into creating its own insulin. The Inflation Reduction Act capped insulin prices for those insured by Medicare. These are all steps in the right direction but they only affected specific groups of people.
On March 1, Eli Lilly, one of the big three insulin manufacturers, announced that it would cap the price of insulin via a series of changes.
Roughly 1 in 4 Americans with type-1 diabetes ration their insulin, meaning they are not taking the amount that they should based on their needs and endocrinologist recommendations in an effort to extend how long their insulin can last. This is dangerous.
While I believe Eli Lilly saw the price cap as an inevitability (probably through future legislation), they took ownership and over the course of 2023 will make insulin more affordable and available, an action that will save lives.
This decision does point out a heinous truth – Eli Lily could have reduced the price years ago and prevented countless people from missing out on insulin and dying. Those profits though…
Our Paris Trip Has Changed
While we were in Mexico, one of Rachel and I’s favorite artists announced a European and US tour. She checked prices on tickets, flights, and accommodations and came up with Paris as being our best option (a surprise to us) which led to us booking our upcoming trip this month.
Fast forward to sitting at the dining table discussing the insulin price changes and as I swipe through reactions on Instagram from other T1D accounts, I see the latest post from the musician. He had a bad accident and had to postpone the European tour.
Wishing a complete and speedy recovery to him, the entire reason we booked a trip to Paris has been pushed back. Now we’re left with a free Friday night in the city of lights – woe is us, right?
Not to be deterred, we found a nearby show in Philadelphia to see him in May and are now re-planning our visit to France’s capital and looking for any suggestions. If you have any, let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading this little update and I look forward to getting into more travel and diabetes stories in next week’s post.
Kelton Goes 