DIABETICS
DIABETICS ARE PAYING FOR IT. ALMOST A CENTURY AGO, THE INVENTORS
OF INSULIN SOLD THEIR PATENT FOR
4@
INVENTORS OF INSULIN SOLD THEIR PATENT FOR JUST A
DOLLAR... ENSURING EVERYONE WHO
NEEDED IT, COULD GET IT.
TODAY, PEOPL4@E ARE PAYING HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS FOR ONE4@
MONTH'S SUPPLY.
BROOKE HASCH TAKES US INSIDE
THIS COSTLY
CRISIS.4@
CRISIS.4@
CRISIS.4@ "I'M ONE OF THE LUCKY PEOPLE."
ANGIE SUMMERS IS A DIABETIC. 1:36 I WAS DIAGNOSED WHEN I
WAS IN4@ MY EARLY 20'S," SUMMER@
SAID.
ONE OF 30 MILLION AMERICANS
STRUGGLING TO KEEP THEIR BLOOD4@
SUGAR
SUGAR
SUGAR 4@
4@
4@ UNDER
4@ UNDER CONTROL ON A DAILY BASIS.
FOR THOSE WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES,
THEY LACK INSULIN, A KEY HORMONE
WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT.
OTHERS, LIKE SUMMERS, WHO ARE4@ TYPE 2, CAN'T EFFECTIVELY USE
WHAT THEY HAVE.
AND THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE. YET4@
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN ONE IN FOUR
AMERICANS LIVING WITH DIABETES,
RATION THEIR INSULIN BECAUSE OF
ITS SKYROCKETING COSTS. 29:27
"IT WAS THERE. IT WAS RIGHT THERE AND I COULDN'T AFFORD IT,"
SUMMERS
SUMMERS
SUMMERS SAID. SINCE 2002, THE AVERAGE LIST4@4@
PRICE
PRICE
PRICE 4@4@
4@4@
4@4@ 4@4@4@
4@4@4@
4@4@4@ OF
4@4@4@ OF INSULIN HAS MORE THAN TRIPLED
, FORCING SOME DIABETICS TO
DECIDE WHETHER TO PAY FOR MEDS OR THEIR MORTGAGE.
2:39 "WITH INSURANCE IT RAN ME
ABOUT $800 TO $1,000 PER INSULIN
AND I WAS ON TWO. NEEDLESS TO
SAY, I JUST WENT WITHOUT," SUMMERS SAID.
FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS.
3:03 "I DID NOT HAVE INSULIN AT
ALL," SUMMERS SAID.
SUMMERS PAID THE PRICE FOR IT ABOUT 6 YEARS AGO. FAR GREATER
THAN WHAT SHE WOULD'VE SPENT ON
INSULIN. 8:46 "IT WAS AWFUL, I'M
NOT GONNA LIE," SUMMERS SAID.
SHE ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL, WITH NEUROPATHY, AND WITHIN 6
MONTHS... 27:23 "I LOST MY LEG,"
SUMMERS SAID. SHE CALLS HERSELF
ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES.4@
16:13 "WE HAVE PEOPLE DYIN4@G BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD THEIR
INSULIN," SUMMERS SAID.
4@4@
4@4@
4@4@ 4@4@4@
4@4@4@
4@4@4@ SHE POINTS THE FINGER AT THE
MANUFACT4@URERS OF THE DRUG, KNN
AS THE BIG 3
. SUMMERS CALLED THEM OUT IN FRONT
OF LAWMAKERS BACK IN AUGUST.
32:09 "PRICING INSULIN AT SUCH AN
ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT IS NOTHING
SHORT OF PRE- MEDITATED MURDER.
WE CAN'T SAY WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT
THE PROBLEM. WE CAN ONLY SAY WE
DON'T CARE," SUMMERS SAID. N4@OO
NORDISK IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST
MAKER OF INSULIN. A SPOKESPERSON
SAYS IT RECOGNIZES PRICES ARE
HIGH, STATING "A4@S A COMPANY FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE LIVES
OF PEOPLE WITH DIABETES, THIS IS
NOT ACCEPTABLE." HOWEVER, THE
COMPANY ARGUES PRICE IS JUST ONE
FACTOR. RATHER, THE HEALTHCARE
SYSTEM IN GENERAL IS TO BLAME, WITH MIDDLEMEN NEGOTIATING
PRICES BETWEEN MANUFACTURER AND
PHARMACY. IT'S ESTIMATED A4@
SINGLE VIAL OF
4@
4@
4@ 4@4@4@
4@4@4@
4@4@4@ INSULIN COSTS ANYWHERE FROM
$3-$6 TO PRODUCE, AND YET TODAY'S RETAIL PRICE IN THE U.S.
4@CAN EXCEED $400, NO MATTER WHH
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY YOU USE.
7:19 THIS INCREASE IN PRIC4@E IS
SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY CAN. IT'S AS
SIMPLE AS THAT.
11:07 SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.
UOFL'S DR. SRI MOKSHAGUNDAM SAYS
GOING WITHOUT INSULIN CAN CAUSE
KIDNEY FAILURE, LOSS OF VISION
AND SENSATION IN THE FEET, HEART
ATTACKS, STROKES, EVEN DEATH.
10:51 "IF THE ONLY REASON THEY'RE IN THE HOSPITAL IS
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PAY FOR
INSULIN, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE,"
DR. MOKSHAGUNDAM SAID.
9:48 "IN OTHER COUNTRIES, THERE
IS A REGULATION ON PRICING.
THEY'RE NOT
THEY'RE NOT 4@
4@
4@ ALLOWED TO CHARGE MORE," DR.
MOKSHAGUNDA SAID. THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN AMERICA.
16:34 "THEY ARE MESSING WITH MY
HEALTH AND IT'S NOT FAIR," KEVIN
TRAGER SAID.
TRAGER SAID. KEVIN TRAGER'S A TYPE 1 DIABETIC
WHO'S FOUND ANOTHER SOLUTION.
ONE THAT WON'T BREAK YOUR BANK.
2:47 I'VE SEEN A LOT OF NATIONAL
STORIES ABOUT THESE CARAVANS TO
CANADA.
CANADA.
CANADA. PEOPLE TURNING TO THE BLACK MARKET, CROSSING THE BORDER TO
BUY CHEAPER DRUGS AND BRINGING
THEM BACK HOME TO THOSE WHO NEED
THEM. IT'S ONLY
LEGAL 4@IF YOU'RE USING THEM FOR PERSONAL USE.
7:29 IT'S A NO BRAINER, IT'S THE
EXACT SAME PRODUCT. IT IS
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES
AND IT'S SHIPPED TO CANADA WHERE
IT'S
IT'S
IT'S SOLD
IT'S SOLD FOR A TENTH OF THE PRICE. THIS SUMMER, TRAGER MADE THE4@
TRIP HIMSELF, AND HEADED FOR
WINDSOR.
5:30 IN ONE DAY, I WENT TO 9
PHARMACIES, LOCALLY IN C4@ANADA
JUST TO ASK ABOUT PRICES AND THE
PROCESS TO PURCHASE INSULIN AS
AN AMERICAN, IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE
HOW
HOW
HOW EASY
HOW EASY IT WAS. YOU DIDN'T NEED A PRESCRIPTION, YOU DIDN'T NEED
INSURANCE. YOU TELL THEM4@ WHAT@
YOU
YOU
YOU 4@
4@
4@ WANT
4@ WANT AND THEY SELL IT TO YOU FOR
A TENTH OF THE PRICE FOR WHAT WE
4@ PAY AS AN AMERICAN. AND IT WAS
FRUSTRATING. HE SHOWED ME TWO
VIALS OF INSULIN.
3:48 THIS 4@ONE WHICH I BOUGHT N
LOUISVILLE WAS $450, AND THIS
ONE WAS 57 BUCKS. 4@-- SAME EXAT
THING. -- SAMES EXACT PRODUCT.
HE EVEN FOUND A PHARMACY IN ONTARIO THAT WILL SHIP THE
INSULIN TO YOU. HE FOUNDED THE
ORGANIZATION, SENSIBLE INSULIN,
HOPING TO SPREAD THE WORD TO
OTHER DIABETICS. 12:15 THIS DISEASE IS SO HARD TO MANAGE
WITH A FRIG FULL OF INSULIN. I
CANNOT
CANNOT IMAGINE TRYING TO GO 3, 4, OR 5 DAYS WITHOUT IT. 8:01 THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS OUT
THERE FOR YOU. YOU DON'T HAVE TO
BE HELD HOSTAGE BY YOUR
INSURANCE COMPANY AND YOUR PBM.
OUR LOCAL LAWMAKERS ARE WORKING
TO BETTER THE SYSTEM TOO.
EARLIER THIS YEAR KENTUCKY4@ PASSED
EARLIER THIS YEAR KENTUCKY4@ PASSED4@ KEVIN'S LAW, ALLOWING A
PHARMACIST TO DISPENSE AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY OF INSULIN TO A 4@
PATIENT WITHOUT A CURRENT
PRESCRIPTION.
BUT THE BIGGEST CHANGE WILL HAVE
TO COME AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
TODAY, SUMMERS GETS HER INSULIN 4@
TODAY, SUMMERS GETS HER INSULIN 4@4@ FOR FREE, A COST HER FRIENDS
HAVE4@
ABSORBED TO ENSURE SHE ALWAYS
HAS IT. BUT SHE KNOWS THAT WON'T
ALWAYS BE AN OPTION. SO SHE
CONTINUES TO FIGHT.4@ 19:32 WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CHARGING.
29:51 HOW MUCH PROFIT DO YOU NEED? AND HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE
TO DIE FOR THEM TO RECOGNIZE,
OKAY, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING?
19:36 NOW, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO
DO ABOUT IT?
IN LOUISVILLE BROOKE HASCH WHAS 11 NEWS.
SOME GOOD NEWS FOR DIABETICS
TONIGHT... INSULIN PRODUCER, NOVO NORDISK4@
IS
IS
IS 4@
4@
4@ EXPECTED TO CUT ITS INSULIN
PRICES BEGINNING IN JANUARY... SIMILAR
TO
TO4@
TO4@ WHAT
TO4@ WHAT COMPETITORS HAVE ALSO PROMISED.
PROMISED.