My copay is $50 for 2 vials of Novolog. That’s because it’s not generic. For generic drugs, I pay $10 per prescription. It pains me that our health care system in this country is so unequal and unfair, even when people DO have insurance.
I think with my insurance I pay about $30/bottle for Humalog vial. And I need about 2 of those per month (give or take). But, if I need extra for some reason, I have to pay out-of-pocket, and humalog at the CVS is $169/bottle without running it through my insurance. Sometimes, I need extra if I’m traveling (just to be safe) or if I run low for some reason. I’ve had a couple of instances where the insulin I had went bad or I suspected it was bad, and then I have to pay the non-insurance price of $169/bottle. Yes, it hurts.
I don’t recall what I paid for the Humalog flexpens that I keep on hand for emergencies, but they weren’t cheap, again because they were above what my insurance would cover since my doc had already put in the Rx for the vials for my pump.
In a pinch, you can get Regular and NPH insulins OTC at any Walmart for $25/vial. I have done this several times in a pinch and am very glad Walmart offers at least these basic insulins for such a cheap price. Whenever I travel, I always make note of where the nearest Walmart is, just in case I find myself without insulin for some reason.
You can run regular insulin in a pump in a pinch, provided you change the ‘active insulin time’ to accommodate the slower action time that occurs with regular insulin. I had to do this once in an emergency and it worked quite well actually. While endos and pump manufacturers don’t recommend this, it’s certainly better than nothing, especially if someone finds themselves in a bind and unable to afford or obtain analogue insulin. I actually feel that everyone using a pump should try this from time to time so that they have a reliable back-up plan in an emergency.
I think it’s horrible that insulin is so expensive.
I am a teacher and very fortunate to have great insurance coverage. I pay $44 for a 3 month supply of humalog (about 4 vials).
Very helpful. Thank you!
EnJOY!
Joy
These prices are shocking. For the first time ever, I am relieved I decided to throw away the American passport that was almost in my hand 20 years ago.
Here in England, if you had to pay for a prescription of insulin, it would be 7.40 GBP for a standard pack of 5 disposable pens. That’s 12 bucks. The price is the same regardless of which insulin. But if you are a diabetic on insulin or meds, all your prescriptions are free.
I get a 3 month supply through my insurances RX Home Delivery. Without insurance it’s $633 and with insurance it’s $70.
Fascinating article – thanks for posting it! 
In Natalie’s utopia, insulin would be free, because Type 1’s will quickly die without it (and some late-stage Type 2’s will die without it, too, but a little more slowly). Medicare pays for dialysis for kidney patients because they would die without it. Do you see the parallel?
My Insulin covered by Insurance:
-Humalog - $31.46 (+ $10.00 Pharmacy fee billed to Insurance) - 10ml vial
-Lantus - $67.85 (+$10.00 Pharmacy fee billed to Insurance) - 10ml vial
(I no longer use Lantus)
-Levemir - $115.70 (+ $10.00 Pharmacy fee billed to Insurance) - 15 ml (penfill 5 pack)
If a Person pays out of pocket here, Insulin costs less than when covered by Insurance.
Three vials of Novolog for me is about $336?
I pay about $50 for a three month supply of Humalog vials – not sure what that amounts to per vial.
But, OP, why are you focused on insulin? Test strips are the shocking, shocking money sink. I run ahead of my insurance sometimes, and pay $133 for 100. I.e. 8-12 dollars a day on test strips alone.
I get a 3 month supply of Novalog Vials through my insurances RX Home Delivery (CVS Pickup). My Cost for 6 Vials is $81.
Some cycles I get 4 Months out of the 6 Vials. Varies by my pump usage.
Where do you live? Is this the full price, or do you have insurance?
i think if you go to a cvs or walgreens its a lot cheaper
for my humalog i buy it for $165. i hope theres a insurance that will at least cover half of that.. i need to work to survive on this world.
can anyone recommend me some type of insurance because i don't have none
what type of insurance do u have?
hi how are you...what kind of insurance do you have?
hi how are you, i don't have insurance have to pay full price on my humalog vials.. is to much money i can't make it... need to know what kind of insurance do you have?
I know for a box of 5 Humalog pens, IF I paid out of pocket, they would have cost around $265.00. About that much for a box of five Lantus pens too. Sorry don't really have a price for the vials but that sounds about right. All the new insulins are VERY expensive.
I just picked up more insulin yesterday, I normally don't pay attention most of the year because after my deductible is up insurance pays for my insulin. New year, new deductible. Cost me $433.55 for 3 vials of humalog. I swear it was something around $330 this time last year. How did it go up that much?
--edit--
I should add, when I'm at school I get my insulin at an Econo Foods (I think they only exist in MN and WI). When I'm at home over the summer I get my insulin at Walgreens.
I live in MN, just picked up more insulin yesterday and it's now over $430. That's the full price while I'm paying the deductible. After the deductible I don't pay a thing the rest of the year.