Fig. 1

Type 1 Diabetic Cost of Living

The yearly annual cost of living for a Type 1 Diabetic is $9,601. Rounding out to be about $800 a month.

40%

Insulin Pump & Pump supplies

37%

Test strips & Insulin

23%

Other (lancets, glucose meter, tabs etc.)

Fig. 2

Insulin Prices have drastically risen since 2009.

Type 1 Diabetes is becoming more common each year. “The average price of insulin per month has doubled to about $450 a month in 2016 from around $234 a month in 2012” (Health Care Cost Institute). Above you can see that the two most commonly used types of fast acting and extended release insulin; Novolog and Lantus continue to increase over the years (Novolog represented by the red line, Lantus being represented by blue).

Fig. 3

The Difference in Cost Without Insurance.

Although insurance can help tremendously, life as a Type 1 diabetic with can still be difficult, expenses are still high and insurance doesn’t cover everything. That is why Embrace makes sure to take care of those with insurance as well, knowing that it can still be a struggle to obtain these monthly supplies. (Red representing a T1 without insurance and Blue representing a T1 with insurance)

Summary

The monthly, yearly, and even day to day cost as a Type 1 Diabetic can become costly. One day these expenses don’t exist, now you’re diagnosed with all of these brand new expenses treating an illness you didn’t ask for, nor deserve. Embrace gets it. We know that. As a Type 1 Diabetic for more than 17 years I know the struggle very well. I have walked the path as a T1D with and without insurance. That’s why Embrace is here. People ration supplies, giving themselves less insulin than needed just because they don’t know if they’ll be able to afford that next $400 vial of insulin. We can no longer stand by as this happens to so many T1D’s around the country. Embrace is here to connect the “I have these extra insulin pens I won’t use because I moved on to the insulin pump! now they’re just sitting in my fridge until they expire” with the “I only have a few units of insulin left, I’m re using syringes until my next paycheck”. Embrace is that link.