If the title was true and everyone was being charged for oxygen, would you care? If the air you breathe could be sucked out of your lungs if you didn’t cough up $1,500 per month, would you protest? Would you urge lawmakers to stop companies from making oxygen so expensive, it was easier to let yourself die than pay that much? What if I said that was happening every day, but instead of oxygen, it’s insulin.

As I wrote in my previous blog post, insulin is as vital to the body as oxygen. In healthy individuals, the body produces its own insulin. In Type 1 diabetics, the immune system has killed off the insulin producing cells. Without insulin, the body shuts down and dies. Drug companies are charging huge amounts of money for insulin. Insulin is fairly cheap to make. In very simple terms, insulin is created in a lab by e. coli cells with insulin cells on them. As the e. coli reproduces, the insulin is also reproduced. More goes into it, but that’s the extra simple version. Insulin is not incredibly hard to make or produce in the grand scheme of things. It isn’t overly complex and actually requires little human intervention compared to other drugs. Drug companies charge so much for insulin because they can. Supply and demand means drug companies can essentially charge whatever they want. They know people won’t go without insulin. Or will they?

Increasing numbers of diabetics are rationing or going without insulin due to the high cost. In an article by MPR news, entitled State lawmakers hope to reverse insulin price spike, we hear the moving story of Alec Smith. Alec lived in Minnesota and went without his insulin because he couldn’t afford it. He was 26 years old. There isn’t a good reason for a 26 – year – old diabetic to die from insulin deprivation in a country as wealthy as the United States. The article explains that Alec’s parents are in support of four insulin – related bills in the state of Minnesota. One would attempt to lower the cost of insulin in general. However, another more unique bill would allow emergency access to insulin for diabetics in financial need. Pharmacies would be reimbursed by a fee to insulin manufacturers.

I will admit I don’t quite understand how the fee process would work or if it would hurt the insulin companies enough to make them lower the cost. These are multi – billion dollar companies and I doubt that a few fees will even be noticed. It might be like an ant biting an elephant. However, I know it would keep people from dying the horrible death that comes when a diabetic doesn’t have insulin. Is this the perfect solution? I doubt it. I don’t think there is a perfect solution. However, it is a much better solution than allowing people to suffer and die from something so easily treated.

I’d love to connect with you! Check out my Instagram and Twitter.