Walgreens as a whole is very expensive for insulin out of pocket. Even for the R and NPH, 70/30 insulins. When I used to be on 70/30 I could get it at Wal-Mart around 25 dollars. Walgreen it was close to 60 dollars...for 70/30 that's insanity.
I use Apidra and Lantus Solostar pens. Right now I pay no co-pay at all for the Apidra pens because of a coupon I found online. For the lantus pens I pay a $25.00 co-pay for 3 months supply which is also because of a coupon I found online. My usual full co-pay with fairly comprehensive insurance is $ 60.00 for a 3 months supply of each type of insulin and the same amount for 500 pen needles and the same amount for 1100 strips for my glucometer. But I don't pay a penny for my Dexcom G4 and sensors. Back in the olden days, insulin was not a prescription drug just the syringes to take it were. So it was pretty cheap. I think in 1975 a bottle of lente was around 5 or 6 dollars. Since I was on 15 units a day the bottle lasted a very long time. But at that time since insulin was not a prescription drug insurance companies did not cover it. Or it might have been the other way around, they would cover the insulin but not the syringes to take it or they would cover the syringes but not the stuff to put in the syringe. It was totally effed up.
I also get my Apidra free with the "No co-pay" offer. But when I paid for it my insurance gave me a three month supply for $40. But regarding the full retail prices described above: To get an idea of how high the U.S. at least marks insulin up, when I lived in Guatemala I bought it over the counter and paid around $13-15 per pen for Apidra and Lantus. (They came individually, but that would be $65 to $75 for a box of 5...full price!)
To add to this. I was on the Novo Flex pen and with UNHC's top tier plan I was paying $94 for a box of 5 pens. Lantus was $86 for the same. That was an average 30 day supply for me.
Now that I'm on both the CGMS and Dex I still have to buy the Novo (though I'm on a backlog of pens so when I'm done with the 40 of them I have I'll have to start on vials). My next order of pods/sensors I have to cover my annual deductible, which is $600. So 1 box of 10 pods is $300 and 1 box of 4 sensors is $750. Once I hit the $600 mark my pods are $30 a box and sensors are $37 a box.
245.00 for levamir flex pen and that is for a 20 day supply. Five pens only last me for 20 days
I pay $163.00 per 10 ml of Novolog. I wonder what is the cost in Canada or Germany. Does anyone know?
This is nuts! Crazy frankly, feel so sorry for you all :(
I pay $20 copay for a 90 day supply of my insulin the amount depends on what my doc rxs but the copay is always the same! So I could get 1/2 the amount or lower and still pay the same price, pretty dumb. Fortunately I have insurance. I am stocking up on all insulin for emergencies in case I ever have to pay the full, should be illegal, price the US imposes on all of us who have no other choice but to stay on insulin to stay alive and to manage our bg. There are frequent free trials of various insulins, humalog is doing one until jan 2014, you get a pack of 5 pens for free but you need an rx for it. I think you can get help from other means too to get your insulin. I also did a rebate program I found online through sanofi and got $85 back in copays for my insulin for last year.
I normally get my insulin through my insurance's mail order company. So my insulin normally comes in a 90 day supply and I normally pay $100.00 for 10 vials of Humalog Insulin
I use Novolog 100u and pay $31 for 9 Vials ( 90 day supply)
- currently on apidra no co-pay started in june 37.00$ a vial now at 52.00 a vial. program for me expies end of feb. still have 7.50 vials to purchase out of 20 i am on a insulin pump. hopeing to still purchase insulin through program at the discont after exp date in feb. useing 2 vials a month
I too am a believer that T1 Livabetics should recieve assistance no matter income or social class. IIt is not the fault of the patient that the were blessed with this disease and there is nothing the patient can do to resolve the issue. We are in the hands of the Insurance and Pharmaceutical companies.
When I was without a job/income. My doctor put me on Apidra because they offered a benefits card which with my insurance I pay $0.00 for a 3 month supply. And I continue to get benefit cards from Apidra every year. SO I have paid a grand total of $0.00 for my insulin in 2 years.