Average list price for a unit of insulin:

[kpete]

$6.94 Australia
$7.52 UK
$9.08 France
$11.00 Germany
$12.00 Canada
$14.40 Japan
$98.70 United States

If Republicans have an intellectual argument against cheaper insulin, I’d really love to hear it.

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=y6Xi_4rCQfdA6ndMbWwInw
https://bantinghousenhs.ca/2018/12/14/insulin-patent-sold-for-1/

[Walleye]

1. Greed is their highest form of intellectual argument

[multigraincracker]

2. Have to pay for all of that research?

Only they spend more on commercials than they do on research.

[YoshidaYui]

10. God, those ads on CNN,

Beginning to hate All those medication ads for all the various ailments on CNN

“Nothing is everything!! whoa oh oh oh!” *

[Rebl2]

13. At one

time the only medication that could be advertised was over the counter meds like aspirin.

[YoshidaYui]

15. Now they even advertise stuff for your dog

It’s a constant barrage of crap peddled 24-7

[Rebl2]

17. Yep

[YoshidaYui]

40. Not any more

its fucking crazy.

[ShazzieB]

22. Not just CNN.

That crap is all over the place, and I HATE it.

That one you quoted...arrghh. and there are so many others. For everything from psoriatic arthritis to metastatic breast cancer to staying undetectable with HIV (Keep loving who you are *gag*)

[ProfessorGAC]

36. You Said It!

The channels i watch most are the documentary channels like History, AHC, StoriesTV, then ESPN, Food Network, Golf Channel, NBA TV, and the like.
Those commercials pop up a few times per hour on every one of the channels i watch.
A constant barrage. And, i've talked to my doctor about this. He HATES those ads! He's had people asking for Otezla until he tells them what they have is acne!

[YoshidaYui]

63. i guess it could be worse....

THEY COULD bring back KARS FOR KIDS ads... JUST kill me!

[YoshidaYui]

38. Commercials used to be Fun Like the ads for the Superbowl

but the pure shit these companies put out makes me want to tune them right out..

[jerseyjim]

37. They are targeting seniors the most.

And, I hate the "cute," happy Ukalele + whistling music that goes with those ads.

[YoshidaYui]

39. I HATE WHERE THEY TAKE A DECENT SONG FROM THE 80S OR 70S

AND rewrite the song to put their fucking product in, it makes me want to hurl!

[Blue Owl]

54. Me too!

[airplaneman]

59. Nothing is everything is $18,000 per shot four times a year. n/t.

[Rebl2]

14. Exactly

If they would spend less on advertising they would have plenty of money for research.

[multigraincracker]

30. Their research comes from our tax dollars that

go to Universities research.

[SheltieLover]

3. Look into the sugar industry. Diabetes is a big $$$ epidemic.

[The Jungle 1]

46. Plus we give massive amounts of socialist corporate welfare to the sugar industry!!!

Is it 5 yet. I need some distilled sugar.

[SheltieLover]

52. No need to wait till 5. Stuff yourself with it all day

[soldierant]

62. The need is because it is distilled.

You can't really stuff yourself with liquor. (And please don't try.)

[Johnny2X2X]

4. Does anyone know when the Medicare insulin cap goes into effect?

This is really relevant to a close friend and he needs to know when his insulin will get cheaper.

[Rebl2]

18. Thought that

got blocked and did not pass. I’m confused.

[CaptainTruth]

35. The Medicare insulin cap passed. The cap for private insurance didn't.

The Senate parliamentarian ruled the Medicare cap met the requirements for the reconciliation process but the cap for private insurance didn't, which meant the Medicare cap could pass with 50 votes (plus a Kamala the-breaker) while the private insurance cap needed 60 votes & there were only 57 votes for it, so it failed.

Hope that helps!

[Rebl2]

51. Thanks

for the information.

[airplaneman]

60. Does anyone know when the Medicare insulin cap goes into effect?

Actually its a prescription drug cap - not just insulin.
2025 - You have to wait 3 years

-Airplane

[Jerry2144]

5. Intellectual and Republican go together in much the same way as

Matter and antimatter. They mutually annihilate each other

[SouthernDem4ever]

19. Couldn't have said it better

[dalton99a]

6. Kick

[RKP5637]

7. The GOP probably also sells body parts on the side!!! What grotesque crap republicans are ... n/t

[IronLionZion]

8. American exceptionalism

private sector efficiency makes things very expensive indeed. Oh well, as long as someone is getting wealthy from it, they must be a hard working "job creator" in need of tax breaks. The rest of us are just too lazy and entitled.

[Marthe48]

9. Why do Americans have some of the lowest wages

and some of the highest health care costs?

$35 for a dose of insulin is more than generous. r's are bloodsuckers, just like a tick on a dog.

[The Jungle 1]

11. Repatha 519.82 per month

[flying_wahini]

27. That is ridiculous, Jungle.... Doesn't have to be this way. I feel gouged on your behalf.

[Disaffected]

29. I've recently started Repatha.

Canadian list is about $600 per month but if your insurance doesn't cover it, they have a program called Repatha Helps which offers it for 1/2 price. Still a lot but better than the 600.

I dunno, maybe they don't offer it in the US...

[The Jungle 1]

42. I think I was on that program when I was working and had insurance from the man.

They won't let you do it with Part D

[Disaffected]

43. I don't know what Part D is but

as I understand it, "Repatha Helps" is independent of government or insurance and is offered by the company itself. I'm guessing they offer it to those without coverage as they figure selling it at half list price is better than not selling it (because many folks could not afford the cost). My pharmacist thinks they charge insurance companies full price.

Anyhow, I googled it and found nothing - if you would still like to be on it, maybe give the manufacturer a call?

[The Jungle 1]

44. Part D is the Medicare drug plan

[AndyS]

16. Remember the good ole' days

when we got all up in arms over Pharm Bro?

[malaise]

20. More here

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/cost-of-insulin-by-country

[question everything]

23. Insulin has been around for 100 years! It does not need to "capture" R&D costs!

Just tinkering with source and additives. Even Humulin (I think this is the name) from recombinant DNA has been around for 40 years.

[ShazzieB]

24. Exactly right.

I'm sure Big Pharma regards it as a cash cow that keeps on giving and giving.

[Mosby]

25. California is going to make Insulin

I hope they can sell it across state lines.

They should do this with other meds as well, this could have a domino effect with prices.

[liberalla]

26. What a GOOD idea!

I wonder if they have thought of that? Gavin Newsom likes to tout the ways that CA is better than other (red) states... this would be a great way to do it. DeSantis would HATE floridians getting relief from, and praising Calif!

Maybe once they get the state program running smoothly, they can consider making it up available to out of state people.

[Mosby]

33. Newsom is promoting it. His administration came up with the idea.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/08/california-will-lower-insulin-prices-by-making-its-own-newsom-says.html

[liberalla]

34. " ...and to make it available to ALL."

Wow! I missed that - thank you!

[The Jungle 1]

45. Wow that is a great idea.

[C Moon]

64. I just hope California is careful. I could see the pharma doing something evil to put a stop to that

and the GOP would love to end Newsom's career.

Dems need to constantly look over their shoulders at what the criminal party of America is up to.

[MissB]

28. wow!

I don't know anyone in my immediate family that uses that medicine, so I am completely unaware of pricing. Wow.

[turbinetree]

31. And just think some of them are on insulin and it's getting paid for by taxpayers

so it's basically free, no out of pocket expense, but stiffing the taxpayers....while they voted NO.....frickin hypocrites...

[grantcart]

32. Sorry but the person you quoted doesn't understand the Rand study they are trying to quote.

That person doesn't have a clue what a unit of insulin actually is and is quoting the most irrelevant part of the Rand study that the figures come from. Here is the original source of the data which she misquotes substituting "insulin unit" for "average monthly cost".

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/cost-of-insulin-by-country

Most diabetics take approximately 50 units a day, some more and some less.

An insulin unit is a very particular measurement and isn't by volume, i.e. how many ML.

A unit of insulin is

Officially, one unit is defined at the biological equivalent of 34.7 micrograms of pure crystalline insulin, a measure that comes from the dawn of insulin, and just happens to be the amount required to induce hypoglycemia in a rabbit (don't ask).Jun 1, 2018

The idea is that insulin isn't measured by volume but by the effect that the particular insulin creates, some need more volume to create the same reaction in the body.

Malaise in response # 20 has the correct format for comparison which is done one of two ways

1) the average cost for monthly treatment

2) comparison on the retail cost of the same brand by vial in different countries, which is really the only way to compare.

The reason that you can't use the Rand numbers is that you are mixing different types of insulin.

When you compare vial vs vial on the same brand you get a different picture

For example


Novorapid/Novolog (Rapid-Acting Insulin)
Kenya: $33
Thailand: $67
Uruguay: $50
United States: $46
Bolivia: $29

Humulin (Short-Acting Insulin)
Philippines: $39
South Africa: $38
United States: $33
India: $16


but even that doesn't show the real picture. I buy Novolin to supplement my Lantus without a prescription at Walmart for $ 25 but they are showing $ 80 which I am guessing is a suggested retail price but is much higher than what you can pay with a little effort.

Novolin (Short-Acting Insulin)
United States: $80
Burundi: $25
Pakistan: $21
Spain: $17
Ghana: $10
Ecuador: $9

The Lantus that I normally use is cheapest in the US

Lantus (Long-Acting Insulin)
Kenya: $258
Panama: $80
Uruguay & Grenada: $50
Peru: $49
United States: $41


I understand that some Diabetes 1 folks pay for very expensive insulin and I don't understand that. In any case we should limit patient cost of insulin to $ 35 and make it free to those that cannot afford that.

Having said that the person quoted in the OP doesn't have a clue what a "unit of insulin" is and the country by country comparison of monthly costs (which is what is actually quoted) doesn't have the same disparity when you look at a product by product comparison that the same link shows. Apparently the US has some very expensive insulins that are being used, the reason for that might be medical necessity, but I don't know.

[Hekate]

47. Thanks for the additional info, grantcart

[mucifer]

41. CEOs should be in PRISON for this

[OMGWTF]

48. Gavin Newsom said CA is going to start making its own insulin.

[panfluteman]

49. The Only Argument I Can Think Of to Support Their Position is the Darwinian Argument...

You know, survival of the fittest - cull the herd and let only the fit - both financially and health-wise - survive.

[Martin68]

50. Posted to FB.

[Blue Owl]

53. WTF, GOP???

[malthaussen]

55. 25 bucks a vial OTC at Walmart.

Same stuff, by prescription, charge to insurance company: $162.00.

There is no excuse for this.

-- Mal

[dai13sy]

56. Aaarrrggghhh

Here we have price gouging in America at it's most pathetic. These American "capitalists" or as I call them - sad little robber barons make all of us look ridiculous. I keep remembering - what goes around, comes around

[SunSeeker]

57. K & R & Retweeted!

[BigmanPigman]

58. CA just announced the production of insulin

in order to reduce prices for residents? Other states should do this if they can.

https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/California-manufacture-insulin/626916/#:~:text=California%20is%20preparing%20to%20produce,biosimilar%20insulin%20products%20for%20Californians.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

61. Land of the not-even-close-to-free (meds) &

home of the craven.