Any suggestions?
Hi,
What an appropriate profile pic!
I’m T2 and not on insulin so I don’t have a script for strips. When I was diagnosed, I joined a support group and I noticed that all the folk over 65 get strips automatically. So… I help my T2 Senior neighbour to sort out the meds for his wife and himself and, in return, he gives me his leftover strips.
Joining a support group is always good because the members are there in person and can often hand you the supplies that you need. They can also hook you up with people to help.
Hope you find good support here. Joanne
Thanks for replying, Joanne. Unfortunately, I have several years till I hit 65. But that was a good idea. 
( I feel like Eeyore all the time, so I thought the pic was appropriate. But that’s another issue.)
That sucks, and I’ve been there too (as a type 1). I have a few suggestions, and some of them aren’t how we would want to do things if we had the resources, and of course I’m not a doctor (blah blah blah).
Although I was supposed to be pumping Humalog, I couldn’t afford it. So I bought Regular at Walmart without a prescription, and it was about $20 and would last around a week.
Test strips were also an issue. I didn’t test as often as I wanted to, but often I would find coupons in the paper and online for free meters like the One Touch Ultra Mini, and they came with at least a few test strips. With lancets and needles, I resused until they didn’t go into my skin anymore.
Looking back, because now I have medical insurance and doctors and supplies whenever I need them (and I’m incredibly thankful for this every day), I would have done something else. Some doctors (endos especially), are really nice and they understand how important it is for you to have your supplies. Call a few offices, you have nothing to lose. Explain your situation and ask if they have samples they can give to help you. I recently donated 13 vials of Humalog to my doctor’s office when I switched to Novolog because I wanted someone else to be able to use it. Other people probably do the same thing. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, write a letter and mail it to the offices near you.
Also, see if there are low cost or free medical benefits that you can qualify for. Even if you can’t afford it right now, circumstances can change and you’ll be prepared.
It is a major pain in the butt to do this sort of thing, but it is better than ending up in the hospital with even bigger bills to pay and the potential of damaging your health forever.
Good luck!
Hoping you can locate a free clinic in your area. Social services should be able to help. For meds, check pharm company web sites for Patient Assistance Programs. They all have this for people who qualify who can’t afford meds & youll need an Rx.
Not any kind of long term solution for supplies, but Google “free glucose meters.” Free meters come with free strips. Also contact meter manufacturers for strips.
I just ran into a friend who was in the same boat. I surprised them with 4 boxes of lantus pens. I guess the point is never be afraid to ask. The drug companies are usually REALLY good about helping out people in need, especially with insulin. It may not be the best insulin or the newest but they can usually work something out to get you what you need. Good luck.
Hi!
Target has cheap meter with strips, some supermarkets have baseline T2 meds for free, find a county hospital with a rating system for patients. try low carb diet, it will mean less meds overall.
Good luck!
I wrote a detailed blog post about this last year as part of Diabetes Awareness Month. I had no insurance for several years when I was in my mid-twenties, so I learned lots of tricks and how to work the system. Here’s a link to the post: Diabetes on the Cheap.
In addition to the things I wrote in that blog post, I’d also suggest finding a sympathetic doctor. You can usually ask people around you or in similar circumstances for recommendations. A doctor who charges on a sliding scale, will be willing to help you out by giving you samples, being your middle man for patient assistance programs, etc. Also, don’t be afraid to ask everybody to be up front about costs, you’ll find that doctors often don’t even know how much the things they prescribe or tests they order costs. A good doctor will, though, and will do everything to help you bring your costs down.
But, the gist of it is, don’t be ashamed, and do what you have to do. It’s harder and frustrating and you have to navigate through a lot of red tape, and it can be overwhelming and discouraging a lot of the time, but it’s your health and life, and don’t let a screwed up system take that away from you. Good luck! Please feel free to reach out and ask questions/ask for support!
I do not know. This is one of the reasons why I thank God for the fact that I live in the UK.
However, that is not going to help you.
Tu Diabetes has a group for free stuff and you might find what you are looking for on there! I cannot use that bit because I am in the UK but it would appear that when people change their meters etc they have things left over which they offer for free. You might try that.
Or liik at the websites of different diabetes products and see what they are giving away free as promotions.
I am so sorry I cannot be of more help. I do know a bit about what it feels like since I had to leave my residence urgently for some reason and was in a place where I could not get back, hand changed my bags - and forgotten all my diabetes supplies! I was 3 days without because I had to go and ask my doctor for more supplies (on repeat prescription) but that would take some time. I felt quite ill then.