For any Type 1 Diabetic living before the 1920s, a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes was a death sentence. Diabetics were given between hours and a couple weeks to live. Since the discovery of insulin, Type 1 diabetics have life expectancies only slightly shorter than that of the average population. This angel of death, which once destroyed all it came in contact with, can be tied down. Today, however, the Angel of Death is being allowed to roam free and claim the lives of hundreds of Diabetics. She can be, and must be, stopped.

GoodRx puts the price for one vial of bio-similar short acting insulin (the insulin proven to be the best option for Type 1 Diabetics) somewhere between $470 and $565, depending on the brand. Most diabetics need more than one vial of insulin per month. This means diabetics often require at least $940 per month for a huge component of their care. They require $940 per month to avoid the fate someone would have faced 100 years ago, but would not have faced some 25 years ago. Business Insider says the price of one vial of Humalog insulin, which now costs $565, cost $20.82 in 1996. This is for the same vial of the same product.

Many people taking insulin have insurance, but the insurance is not paying out enough to make the cost manageable in many cases. Because the cost is so high, diabetics are having to make the difficult decision to slowly start unchaining the Angel of Death. Out of respect for families dealing with this incredible issue, names will not be included in this editorial. However, many diabetics have been discussing the issue of insulin rationing. Because they cannot afford their insulin, diabetics are beginning to take less insulin. To someone who is not a diabetic or does not know a diabetic well, this may not sound like a severe issue. After all, they are still taking insulin. Think of insulin like oxygen. While the brain can live with severe oxygen deprivation, the body and brain begins to shut down and damage begins to happen. The same thing happens when the body has less insulin. Unfortunately, many diabetics have already succumbed to the consequences of insulin rationing. They have already died of something that could have recently been avoided for $20.82.

Many solutions to this issue are being proposed. However, this could all be solved if a law were passed which would prevent companies from increasing the price of insulin past a certain point. Production cost is a factor, as is the cost of shipping the drug and keeping it refrigerated so it will still be effective. Sources differ on the production cost of insulin, as actual cost data is not easily found, however, it is estimated to be between $2.00 and $16.00 per vial of bio-similar fast acting insulin. Pharmaceutical companies are also businesses that need to pay their employees. However, the cost should be capped at a certain percentage past the production cost so that people will not continue to die an incredibly preventable death. Diabetes was once a death sentence. Legislature can insure it does not become a death sentence once again.

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