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2 March 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Some Kansans could see their insulin prices drop if they use Eli Lilly.
Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced yesterday it is capping its out-of-pocket costs for patients at $35.
The company says the $35 cap is effective immediately at participating pharmacies for those with commercial insurance.
Those without insurance have a different resource.
Both Elizabeth Hingst and Dalton McCune-Seiler are diabetic and live in Wichita. They say diabetes is extremely expensive. Beyond insulin, they worry about sensors, monitors and pumps on top of it. They hope this is a step in the right direction.
McCune-Seiler said that for nearly his whole life, he has wondered how he was going to afford insulin.
“We didn’t always go do extra fun stuff as most people do now,” McCune-Seiler said. “Or, they’re like, ‘We’re gonna go to Kansas City for the weekend.’ For us, it was, ‘We’re gonna make sure there’s insulin and food in the house.'”
He and Elizabeth Hingst spend anywhere from $300-600 a month.
“What we did a lot, unfortunately, was put it on a credit card because we just couldn’t afford the out-of-pocket expense,” Hingst said.
That expense forced both Hingst and McCune-Seiler to sacrifice their health.
“I had to stretch it more times than I care to count my life,” McCune-Seiler said.
Hingst said she did the same thing in college.
“You turn down your basal rate, you take as little insulin as possible, you use as little supplies as possible because can’t afford it,” Hingst said. “If you’re doing that, you feel miserable. You’re so sick. Your brain is not thinking clearly because all of your body systems aren’t operating like they should.”
The executive director at Great Plains Diabetes, Belinda Childs, says people come in every day asking for help.
“We see people rationing their insulin here,” Childs said. “I see people not take their insulin, ending up in the hospital because they didn’t have insulin.”
They all hope the new Eli Lilly cap of $35 will make their roads a little smoother.
Childs recommends the following resources for those needing help getting insulin.
Great Plains Diabetes is also hosting its first Tour de Wichita on Sunday, April 30, from 1-6 p.m. at Wave Old Town. Click here for more information.