UPDATE - My doctor is working with me to try to get Humalog or Novolog from a patient care plan, I’d like to hear from some people who have used Novolog in a pump and will create another discussion on it…Does anyone have a big 5,000 deductible with their insurance? I tried to get insulin yesterday and for a 90 day supply of Humalog it was around $1,200 dollars. I know you can get coupons but are these even worth anything? I’m also curious about cheaper options for test strips. If anyone has any tips that have been through this hell before please let me know.
For how many vials?
What are you currently paying per strip? And what type strip are you using?
Cheap insulin from Canada.
Check out this supplier.
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I don’t know I’m aftaid to purchase test strips at this point.
You don’t need to purchase them to find out the price. You can ask the pharmacy or supplier how much they would cost, and then compare prices.
You can probably get insulin much cheaper from Canada.
And you can use many other types of strips that cost less than what your insurance is doing.
You can get some very good strips for less than 20 cents per strip.
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Ours is 9k!
I should have said I haven’t gotten to that point yet Eddie as I’ve been trying to get insulin all day. That’s the most important thing right now so I don’t die.
If you need something to just tie you over for a couple days, then there is cheap R/N at most pharmacies. Walmart may the be the cheapest.
I’m not a fan of those insulins, but they’re definitely better than not having anything!!!
Do you need insulin right away? Or do you have a small stash?
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You can get 100 countour next for around 23 or 24 dollars on amazon or ebay - they are fine - 100 percent genuine - you can get a countour next meter for less the 6 bucks off ebay
if you buy 300 strips they are even cheaper -
the strips are the real thing - I have tested them dozens of times off control solution -
they also have excellent dates - more then a year out
If you don’t mind me asking, how much do you use in a month? Like your 90 day supply that costs $1200, how many vials is that?
Just curious how much your per vial cost is. I am betting it is a lot cheaper to get from Canada.
To get it from Canada for cheap, all you need is:
- A cooperative endo (or any doctor actually), who will write a prescription on paper (you don’t need to tell him it is going to be from Canada, you can just say you are traveling and would like a paper prescription in case you have an emergency and are away from your pharmacy. After getting the paper script, you send it to the Canadian pharmacy yourself
).
Or
- A cooperative endo who is willing to call the prescription into the Canadian pharmacy.
It is pretty easy. I got Fiasp from Canada before it was even approved in the U.S.
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I know many people who do have that miserable deductible. You may need to switch to Walmart over the counter cheap insulin. Fuuuuuck, this is bad. Not your fault, but this is not a good health insurance policy for you - you are in between a bullet and a target. Citizen Cope - Bullet & A Target - YouTube
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I have a large deductible plan, but for some reason, they don’t count insulin against the deductible. I just pay $10 for my insulin, every month of the year. I think it’s because I use it in a pump, and it’s counted under DME? If you use a pump it’s worth checking out.
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I called the Canadian insurance company today. I can’t believe this but it was 728 dollars for one vial of humalog at CVS. I think I’ve been living in the dark, used to having better insurance. I’m going the Canadian route or getting some financial assistance for sure. Whew, the smokes cleared a little but that was a hard knock. Thanks for putting up with my anger.
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Are your pump supplies covered in full though? Any high deductible I’ve been on still charges a lot for the durable medical equip.
Lol If you remember correctly I was unemployed not too long ago so this pos plan is still better than no money. 
I’m about to start hustling.
Let me ask you this, I know humalog is what I’ve used since I was a babe but does it react the same as other insulin’s on the market? I’ve always just used humalog with a pump but are there any cheaper alternatives? Of course I’m not talking about long lasting here.
I have a very small stash so I will be fine. I gasped at the price but I will find some insulin somehow over the weekend. You’re sweet for checking!
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I am a bit confused by this. You mean $728 at the CVS in the U.S., not in Canada, right?
In Canada it is about $90 if you buy just one vial, and even cheaper per vial if you buy multiple vials.
In Canada, Humalog and NovoLog are about the same price.
But in the U.S., your price is based on your insurance company’s formulary. For some people, Humalog is much cheaper, but for others NovoLog is much cheaper. Just depends on your insurance.
You should ask your insurance company. It might be that the reason it is costing so much is because they want you to take NovoLog instead of Humalog.
I think NovoLog and Humalog are mostly interchangeable. I actually think NovoLog works a little better in a pump than Humalog, as far as absorption for several days of pump wear. But they have the same general onset.
Ask your insurance if NovoLog would be cheaper, and if it is, try it. I don’t think you would have a problem with it.
I used Lilly brand insulins (old R and NPH, and then Humalog) for 44 years before switching to NovoLog, and had no problem with the swap.
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Nope. Its different. I wouldn’t use R in a pump. I’ve always wondered if you could get away with that in a pinch, but I have been strictly told NOT to try that. Switching to cheap old fashioned R will require manual injection and the cheap, old fashioned NPH as basal, I think. I only do this in an emergency.
You recently got a 670g, right? Is your DME not subject to the deductible? What a strange plan. Maybe it’s just a formulary problem like @Eric2 suggested.