U.S. insulin costs per patient nearly doubled from 2012 to 2016, study finds
The cost of insulin for treating Type 1 diabetes in the United States nearly doubled over a recent five-year period, underscoring a national outcry over rising drug prices, according to a new analysis.
A patient with Type 1 diabetes incurred annual insulin costs of $5,705, on average, in 2016. The average cost was roughly half that, at $2,864 per patient, in 2012, according to a report released on Tuesday by the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute.
The figures represent the combined amount paid by a patient and their health plan for the medicine and do not reflect rebates paid at a later date.
(Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday January 23 2019, @07:04PM (4 children)
And then....
Under Trump, the number of uninsured Americans has gone up by 7 million [vox.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @07:21PM (3 children)
And now those poor hospitals will be forced to post their prices online. Won't someone please think of the hospital lobby!
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday January 23 2019, @09:20PM (2 children)
As a taxpayer, I'm glad to know exactly how much I'm paying when an uninsured person shows up at the hospital and they're obligated to care for them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 23 2019, @09:34PM
Well you won't know that, since they are only publishing the "chargemaster" values, which are typically 2-10x higher than the real price.
Also, emergency room expenses are really far down there in terms of where healthcare spending goes. The vast majority is for chronic conditions in the elderly.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 24 2019, @01:10AM
Probably less than you would be paying if society doesn't look after the less fortunate. One small disaster and a lot of us would be out on the streets doing whatever we could to survive and ensure our family survives. Education, healthcare, etc. are costs that we all pay for the benefit of all.