>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. IMAGINE NEEDING A MEDICATION IN
ORDER TO STAY ALIVE.
NOW IMAGINE IT COSTS HUNDREDS OF
DOLLARS FOR JUST A SMALL DOSE.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
THAT IS THE LIFE AND DEATH
STRUGGLE FACED BY THE FAMILY
YOU’RE ABOUT TO MEET.
NOW THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. WATCH THIS.
WATCH THIS. >> YOU HAVE TO HAVE CONTROL OVER
EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE.
I MEAN, YOUR DIET, YOUR
EXERCISE.
EXERCISE. BASICALLY YOU HAVE TO BE OKAY
WITH NEEDLES.
WITH NEEDLES. >> PATTY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
DIABETES AT 16.
>> MY MONITOR WILL SEND MY BLOOD
DPLUK
DPLUK GLUCOSE TO MY PUMP.
>> HER INSULIN CO-PAY WENT FROM
$125 TO $550 A MONTH, A HUGE
FINANCIAL STRAIN ON HER FAMILY.
>> IT WAS A VERY EMOTIONALLY
TENSE TIME.
TENSE TIME. ALL OF US WERE ON EDGE.
WE DIDN’T KNOW WHERE I WOULD GET
MY NEXT LITTLE BATCH OF INSULIN.
>> HER DAD, RUSS, IS ALSO A
DIABETIC.
DIABETIC. MEDICARE WAS COVERING ABOUT 50%
OF HIS INSULIN COST.
THE FAMILY MADE A DIFFICULT
DECISION.
DECISION. >> WE HAD LIFESAVING MEDICINE IN
THE REFRIGERATOR AND WE GAVE IT
TO OUR LAW.
WE BROKE THE LAW.
>> I WAS SIPHONING OFF MY DAD’S
SUPPLY AND USING LESS.
I WAS PURPOSEFULLY ALLOWING
INSULIN TO RUN HIGH SO IT WOULD
LAST LONGER.
LAST LONGER. >> HER INSULIN MEDICATION CAME
FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE.
>> THE DAUGHTER OF ONE OF MY
FRIENDS PASSED AWAY.
SHE WAS A TYPE 1 DIABETIC.
SHE LEFT BEHIND INSULIN, PUMP
SUPPLIES, TESTING STRIPS,
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> SHE KNEW THE STRUGGLE WE WERE
HAVING THAT YEAR.
SHE SAID TAKE IT HOME FOR
HATTIE.
HATTIE. THAT’S THE INSULIN THAT KEPT
HATTIE ALIVE THE REST OF THE
YEAR.
YEAR. >> INSULIN TO A TYPE 1 DIABETIC
IS EQUIVALENT TO WATER, OXYGEN.
I MEAN, THIS IS BASICALLY THE
AIR THAT I BREATHE.
WITHOUT IT, I DIE.
>> PLEASE WELCOME HATTIE AND HER
PARENTS, DIANE AND RUSS SALZMAN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
HERE. THERE HAD TO BE A LEVEL OF
DISBELIEF EVEN AT YOUR YOUNG AGE
YOU ARE FACING THIS KIND OF COST
AND THIS AVAILABILITY OF A
LIFESAVING MEDICATION.
LIFESAVING MEDICATION. >> HONESTLY, I THINK IT’S EVEN
MORE INCREDIBLE THIS THING IS
HAPPENING RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSES
IN AMERICA.
IN AMERICA. YOU WOULD THINK AMERICA WOULD BE
ON TOP OF THIS.
THAT’S KIND OF THE IMPRESSION
PEOPLE HAVE OF THIS COUNTRY.
>> YOU ADMIT, YOU HAD TO BREAK
THE LAW TO STAY ALIVE.
>> WE’RE CALLING IT CIVIL
DISOBEDIENCE RIGHT NOW.
>> I LIKE THAT BETTER.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT IT?
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
>> I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING IS CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN
AND WRITE THEM.
YOU NEED TO BE ABSOLUTELY
CERTAIN THAT THE PEOPLE YOU’RE
VOTING INTO OFFICE KNOW WHAT’S
IMPORTANT TO YOU.
WE’RE ASKING FOR PEOPLE TO FIND
THIS ISSUE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE
THERE ARE SO MANY OF US THAT ARE
SUFFERING FROM THIS.
>> THE ONLY WAY YOU GET YOUR
COST DOWN FROM 550 A MONTH TO
$25 IS YOU WENT OFF YOUR
PARENTS -- YOU WERE NO LONGER
CLAIMED AS A DEPENDENT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> WHAT HAPPENED ONCE YOU DID
THAT.
THAT. >> I WAS ABLE TO USE MY OWN
INCOME FOR TAX PURPOSES.
SO WHEN I WAS APPLYING FOR
INSURANCE THROUGH THE
MARKETPLACE I QUALIFIED FOR ARE
A TAX CREDIT WHICH COVERS MY
PREMIUM EVERY MONTH.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. YOU HAD TO GET POORER, AS
SOMEBODY WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY A
DEPENDENT.
DEPENDENT. WE FIND ALL WAYS OF MANIPULATING
THE SYSTEM TO GET WHAT WE NEED.
EVERYBODY DOES THAT IN HEALTH
CARE.
CARE. I CAN’T IMAGINE, DIANE, AS A
MOTHER, WHEN YOU’VE GOT
DIABETES, TWO BELOVED FAMILY
MEMBERS, AND YOU CANNOT AFFORD
THE MEDICATION YOUR DAUGHTER
NEEDS TO STAY ALIVE.
>> THAT’S MY CONCERN BECAUSE I
WAS COVERING HER WITH INSURANCE
AND WITH THE INSURANCE I WAS
COVERING HER WITH, WITH MY
INCOME, WE HAD A DEDUCTIBLE THAT
WAS TOO HIGH.
THAT’S WHY WE NOW COVER HER WITH
HER INCOME.
HER INCOME. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SHE GRADUATES
COLLEGE AND GETS A JOB THAT HAS
AN INCOME.
AN INCOME. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. DOES IT GO BACK UP TO 550 A
MONTH?
MONTH? >> IT VERY WELL MAY.
SOME OF MY FRIENDS, THEY HAVE
JOBS, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT’S
HAPPENING TO THEM.
>> WHAT DID THAT FEEL LIKE FOR
YOU, RUSS, IN THE MOMENT YOU
KNEW -- YOU HAVE TYPE 1 DIABETES
AS WELL.
AS WELL. YOU KNOW YOUR DAUGHTER HAS GOT
IT, THE MEDICATION IS TOO
EXPENSIVE AND YOU GUYS START
SHARING, RATIONING THE MEDS
BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU.
>> OUTRAGE.
>> OUTRAGE. I WAS ANGRY.
THE MORE I LOOKED INTO IT, THE
COST, SUDDEN INCREASES IN
INSULIN AND ALSO OTHER DRUGS
PEOPLE DEPEND ON, I BECAME EVEN
ANGRIER.
ANGRIER. THE COST OF INSULIN BEARS NO
RELATIONSHIP TO MANUFACTURING
COST.
COST. IT DOES NOT.
IT’S BEEN AROUND 100 YEARS, VERY
EASY TO PRODUCE.
ELI LILLY KEEP TWEAKING PATENTS
A LITTLE BIT SO THERE’S NO
GENERIC.
GENERIC. >> ALLOWS PRICES TO STAY UP.
WE REACHED OUT TO ELI LILY.
THE LIST PRICE, PEOPLE SHOULD
NOT PAY THOSE, BASED ON LOWERING
FOR iPS LUNN.
STAFFED WITH PHARMACISTS AND
NURSES WHO HELP PEOPLE FIND
CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS TO MEET
CIRCUMSTANCES.
CIRCUMSTANCES. MORE THAN 2,000 PEOPLE HAVE USED
OUR HELP LINE TO MEANINGFULLY
REDUCE WHAT THEY PAY AT THE
PHARMACY.
PHARMACY. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
>> WE TRIED THAT.
THEY DIDN’T HAVE HELP FOR US.
>> WE USED MANUFACTURING
INCOMES.
INCOMES. I APPLIED FOR A PROGRAM THAT
WOULD GRANT ME INSULIN EACH
MONTH.
MONTH. I WAS REJECTED BECAUSE OF
INSURANCE, DIDN’T TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT DEDUCTIBLE, 550 CO-PAY.
>> THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT CO-PAY.
>> THEY LOOK AT YOU ON PAPER AND
CHUCK YOU IN THE BIN.
>> HAVEN’T WE ALL BEEN THERE,
COLLEGE TUITION OR HEALTH
INSURANCE WHERE THEY DON’T LOOK
AT THE ACTUAL REAL LIFE
CIRCUMSTANCES.
CIRCUMSTANCES. IT’S LIKE A ROBOT.
IT’S LIKE A COMPUTER THAT DOES
TAKE CALCULATION WITHOUT BEING A
HUMAN.
HUMAN. ALSO WITH US HERE IN THE
AUDIENCE, I WANT TO INTRODUCE
MELISSA SONG, AN
ENDOCRINOLOGIST.
ENDOCRINOLOGIST. THE PROBLEM, HOW COMMON IS THIS?
IT’S NOT JUST HATTIE’SES CASE,
WHERE PEOPLE CANNOT GET THE
MEDICATION THEY NEED BECAUSE
THEY ARE NOT ON MEDICARE,
MEDICAID, THE OPPOSITE WHEN
YOU’RE OLDER.
YOU’RE OLDER. HOW COMMON IS THIS?
>> UNFORTUNATELY IT’S MORE
COMMON THAN WE WANT.
DIABETES ITSELF IS EXTREMELY
COMMON AND IT AFFECTS 30 MILLION
AMERICANS.
AMERICANS. TYPE 1 DIABETES, IN WHICH THE
INSULIN DOESN’T MAKE ENOUGH --
THE BODY DOESN’T MAKE ENOUGH
INSULIN AFFECTS 1.25 MILLION
AMERICANS.
AMERICANS. INSULIN IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL
TO LIFE, LIKE HATTIE WAS SAYING.
SO WHAT INSULIN DOES, INSULIN IS
MADE FROM THE PANCREAS.
IT HELPS PUSH THE BLOOD SUGAR
FROM THE BLOOD STREAM INTO THE
MUSCLES AND OTHER TISSUES TO
PROVIDE ENERGY NEEDED FOR DAILY
LIFE.
LIFE. SO SIMILAR TO HOW IF WE HAD A
NONFUNCTIONING DRAIN, WATER
WOULD BACK UP AND OVERFLOW FROM
A BATHTUB, IF SOMEONE DIDN’T
HAVE ENOUGH INSULIN --
>> THEY AREN’T DEBATING WHETHER
IT’S NECESSARY, THEY ARE
DEBATING WHETHER THEY SHOULD
GIVE IT TO YOU AT A COST YOU CAN
AFFORD.
AFFORD. OBAMACARE, WE’VE TRIED TO REVAMP
HEALTH CARE SO MANY TIMES, AND
STILL HERE YOU ARE.
ARE YOU OKAY NOW?
>> I’M OKAY NOW.
MY CO-PAY IS $25.
NEXT YEAR I HAVEN’T MADE ANY
MORE MONEY THIS YEAR.
SO THEORETICALLY I’VE STILL GOT
IT.
IT. >> AS LONG AS YOU CAN STAY
TOTALLY UNSUCCESSFUL IN YOUR
FUTURE, YOU’RE GOING TO BE FINE.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. EXACTLY.
EXACTLY. I WILL CONTINUE TO BE A NONPAID
ACTIVIST.
ACTIVIST. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. WELL SAID.
WELL SAID. A CIVILLY DISOBEDIENT NONPAID
ACTIVIST.
ACTIVIST. IT SHOULDN’T HAVE TO BE THIS
WAY.
WAY. LISTEN, WE DID REACH OUT TO BLUE
CROSS?
CROSS? IS THAT YOUR INSURER?
IS THAT WHY WE’RE REACHING OUT.
>> 2017 PROFIT THIS WAS
UNFORTUNATE SITUATION.
UNFORTUNATE SITUATION. OUR MISSION IS TO HELP PROMOTE,
RISING COSTS CHALLENGES, RISING
SYSTEM AS A WHOLE HAS
CHALLENGES.
CHALLENGES. WE’RE WORKING ON INNOVATIVE WAYS
TO CONTROL THE COST OF CARE.
FEEL BETTER?
FEEL BETTER? FEEL BETTER?
FEEL BETTER? YEAH.
YEAH. ME NEITHER.