>> NOW TO DRUG DEALS, INSULIN. IT’S THE ONLY MEDICINE THAT COULD KEEP MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
ALIVE BECAUSE COMPANIES ARE
CHARGING SO MUCH FOR IT.
PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO MAKE LIFE
AND DEATH DECISIONS STRUGGLING
TO AFFORD THE RISING COSTS OF
EVERYTHING ELSE. MORE THAN
7 MILLION PEOPLE RELY ON
INSULIN EVERY DAY. THE
AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION
ESTIMATES A QUARTER OF THOSE
PEOPLE AT MIT TO RATIONING
THEIR INSULIN AT SOME POINT
NEWS 4 JAX CONSUMER
INVESTIGATOR LAUREN BERNAL
EXPLAINS THERE ARE PUSHES TO
MAKE THIS LIFESAVING MEDICINE
MORE READILY AVAILABLE. BUT
LAUREN, THOSE IMPACTED BY THE
DISEASE SAY IT’S JUST NOT
ENOUGH.
>> IT’S NOT. AND WHEN YOU
START TO LEARN MORE IN
RESEARCH, THIS DISEASE AND THE
SIMPLE MEDICINE, IT TAKES 2,
LET YOU LIVE A NORMAL LIFE. IT
IS JUST INCREDIBLE TO KNOW
WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AT THIS
TIME. SO I TALKED TO A DOCTOR
TOLD ME HE HAS GENUINE FEAR
WHEN DIAGNOSING SOMEONE WITH
DIABETES, SPECIFICALLY TYPE
ONE THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE
TO AFFORD THEIR MEDICATION AND
WITHOUT IT, THEY WILL DIE.
THAT IS A FACT. SO WHY MORE
THAN A CENTURY AFTER THIS CURE
WAS DISCOVERED, ARE PEOPLE
STILL DIE BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY
CANNOT AFFORD IT. HOPE IT’S
NOT BURNT. PUTTING A PRICE ON
HUMAN LIFE. TYPE ONE DIABETIC
PHAILIN SHILDT SAYS THAT’S
WHAT DRUG MAKERS ARE DOING
EVERY DAY. WITHOUT THIS. I
DIE. IF I DON’T BUY IT, I DIE.
SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH TYPE
ONE DIABETES AT 14 YEARS OLD,
LOSING WEIGHT AT A RAPID NOT
NATURAL PACE, ESPECIALLY FOR
BEING 14.
>> VERY TIRED. YOU KNOW, JUST
ALL THE SYMPTOMS. BUT WE
DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.
RUSHED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
AND HAD TO START ON INSULIN,
INJECTIONS TO STAY ALIVE. AND
THAT WOULD BE THE CASE FOR THE
REST OF HER LIFE. FX.
>> TYPICALLY CASE TEENAGERS OR
YOUNG ADULTS. WHAT WE SEE IT.
>> MAYBE AS WE SEEK AN ORDER
DOSES ABOUT YOU HAVE
JACKSONVILLE AND ACCRA
KNOWLEDGE DOCTOR GOOD ENGINE.
GANDHI SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THERE ARE ACTUALLY
3 TYPES OF DIABETES. HE SAYS
JUST STATION UL DIABETES
AFFECTS 10% OF PREGNANT WOMEN
IN THE U.S. EVERY YEAR. THEN
THERE’S TYPE 2 DIABETES, WHICH
IS THE MOST COMMONLY KNOWN
LARGELY ASSOCIATED WITH BEING
OVERWEIGHT. AND THEN THERE’S
TYPE ONE THAT WE’VE MENTION.
BUT THE EXACT CAUSE REMAINS A
MYSTERY. THAT IS SOME BIGGER.
THAT TRIGGER COULD BE A WHITE
U.S..
>> THAT FIGURE COULD BE SOME
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR.
>> A TYPE ONE DIABETIC IS
UNABLE TO CREATE INSULIN ON
THEIR OWN INSULIN IS A VITAL
HORMONE THAT REGULATES BLOOD
SUGAR IN THE BODY WITHOUT IT,
THE BODY WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK
DOWN ITS OWN FAT AND MUSCLE.
REALISTICALLY YOU CAN DIE FROM
THIS. ABSOLUTELY.
>> SO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TYPE
ONE DIABETES.
>> DEPENDENT ON INSULIN TO
SURVIVE. SO, HOW MUCH IS LIKE
ONE OF THOSE PENS COSTS
WITHOUT INSURANCE WITHOUT
INSURANCE? I THINK IT’S LIKE
$600. IT’S HUNDREDS 100’S OF
DOLLARS A MONTH WITH YOU KNOW
YOU HAVE TESTER UPS. YOU HAVE
THE NEEDLES THAT GO ON THIS.
THE YOU KNOW, JUST ALCOHOL
SWABS TO GLUCOSE TABLETS. IN
CASE YOU HAVE A LOW BLOOD
SUGAR, ALL THE EMERGENCY
SUPPLIES, THE BACKUP SUPPLY.
SO IT’S NOT SURPRISING HERE.
AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING I JUST
CAN’T AFFORD THIS. PEOPLE ARE
REALLY. YOU KNOW,
CONTEMPLATING DO I BUY
GROCERIES OR DO I DO? I BUY MY
INSULIN AND THAT WAS NEVER
SUPPOSED TO BE THE CASE.
>> THIS SCIENTISTS WHO CREATED
INSULIN A MORE THAN A CENTURY
AGO SOLD THE PINE FOR ONE
DOLLAR SAYING THE HORMONE FOR
BATTLING DIABETES BELONGS TO
THE WORLD.
>> FROM THE LATE 90’S.
>> THE COST HAS RISEN 1000
FORWARD 3 PHARMACEUTICAL
COMPANIES.
>> NOVO NORDISK SANOFI-AVENTIS
AND ELI LILLY CONTROL 90% OF
THE INSULIN SUPPLY TO THE
WORLD. IT’S ESTIMATED IT COSTS
ABOUT 2 TO $6 FOR THESE DRUG
MAKERS TO PRODUCE A VIAL OF
THIS LIFE SAVING DRUG YET IT’S
SOLD FOR UP TO $1000 PER
BOTTLE.
>> DO YOU EVER GET CONCERNED
WHEN YOU’RE DIAGNOSING SOMEONE
THAT THEY’RE NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO AFFORD THIS SO THAT’S
ALWAYS IN THE BACK OF MY MIND
AS A PHYSICIAN, YOU KNOW, YOU
CAN SEE THE ANXIETY.
>> YOU KNOW, THEY GET
DESPERATE FEARFUL AND THERE
ARE SOME RESOURCES. DOCTOR
GANDHI CAN OFFER TO THESE
PATIENTS, BUT THERE ARE
LIMITED THE 3 DRUG MAKERS I
MENTIONED EARLIER OFFER SOME
COUPONS, BUT THEY DON’T COVER
EVERYTHING AND DON’T WORK. IF
YOU HAVE MEDICARE OR MEDICAID,
WALMART OFFERS ONE TYPE OF
INSULIN AT THE QUOTE, LOW COST
OF ALMOST $73. A VIAL. AND
EVEN WITH INSURANCE SHELL SAYS
IT’S A CONSTANT BATTLE WITH
THE INSURANCE COMPANY.
>> THE CO PAYS ALSO CAN CHANGE
BECAUSE THE INSURANCE
COMPANIES CONTROL WHAT THEY
WANT TO COVER ONE MONTH. THIS
COULD BE $25 FOR A FEW THE
NEXT MONTH. IT COULD BE. 75
THE NEXT MONTH. THEY CAN SAY
WE DON’T COVER THIS ANYMORE.
IT’S CRAZY WHICH HAS LEFT
COUNTLESS OF FAMILIES WITH
THOSE LIMITED OPTIONS. DO YOU
BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE HAVE LOST
THEIR LIFE?
>> BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE
ACCESS TO THIS INSULIN. YEAH,
ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, HAVE
SEEN IT. YES, PEOPLE HAVE DIED
AND UNTIL SOMETHING CHANGES,
IT’S REALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU PAY
OR USE I THAT TYPE OF DISEASE,
JOY. AND IT REALLY IS SCARY
STUFF. AND IT’S IMPORTANT TO
KNOW WITH INSULIN TYPE ONE
DIABETICS. THEY CAN LIVE A
VERY HEALTHY AND NORMAL LIFE.
SO SHELTER, FOR EXAMPLE.
>> SHE HAS 4 CHILDREN. SHE
EXPERIENCED NO ISSUES DURING
HER PREGNANCY, WHICH, YOU
KNOW, IT’S CRAZY ALREADY WITH
4 CHILDREN, NO PROBLEM
SPECIALLY A TYPE ONE DIABETIC.
BUT AGAIN, THAT WOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT HER
MEDICATION. SO, LAUREN,
ANYTHING, IS THERE ANYTHING BE
DONE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? SO
A LITTLE WAS THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS PUSHING FOR
A BILL THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE
MEDICARE TO NEGOTIATE
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES,
INCLUDING INSULIN AND PUT A
CAP ON INSULIN AT $35. BUT
IT’S ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE
INSURANCE WHICH RELIEVE ANYONE
WITHOUT INSURANCE. BACK IN THE
SAME SITUATION, THEY ARE NOW
SAFE TO SAY THERE IS A LONG
WAY TO GO. THAT’S WHY TOMORROW
STARTING AT 07:00AM ON THE
MORNING SHOW. WE ARE HELPING
YOU FIND THE CHEAPEST VERSION
FOR OTHER PRESCRIPTION
MEDICATIONS AND REVEALING A
WARNING FROM THE BETTER
BUSINESS BUREAU TO MAKE SURE
YOU ARE NOT GETTING SCAMMED
DRIVING. A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL
BENEFIT WATCHING TOMORROW
MORNING. A LOT OF GOOD
INFORMATION TO HELP FAMILIES
SAVE. I MEAN, I HAVE TO TAKE A
DAILY MEDICATION FOR SOMETHING
I LOOKED ON THERE BECAUSE IT’S
EXPENSIVE. AND IF WASN’T EASY
WAYS TO TRY TO LOWER THOSE
COSTS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS
SUCH SUCH AN IMPORTANT STORY
WITH PRICES ON EVERYTHING
INCREASING. EVERY TIME YOU
TURN AROUND THE LAST THING
THAT PEOPLE REALLY NEED IS TO
HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT