When the economy is not good, it can be difficult to handle the cost of diabetes care. Your health may not be covered by insurance if you are an underemployed or unemployed person. Your monthly expenses on prescribed medications to nutritious food can amount to quite a sum, even when you have no other health problems and have no unpaid medical bills.
It is a known fact that there are diabetics who have to lessen while others have to do away with blood-glucose checking, medications, insulin and doctor appointments in such difficult times when incomes as well as health insurance are lost.
Cutting expenses can be almost impossible when you have to manage your diabetes. And if you neglect your condition by not managing it to control the blood glucose levels, you significantly raise the possibility of diabetes complications. Then, you will find that the treatment of these complications is even more of a financial burden than the cost of diabetes supplies and medications.
The tips on the management of the cost of diabetes treatment given below come from the American Diabetes Association.
Diabetes medications
- Discuss with your doctor before taking less medications or stopping it totally.
- Ask your health care provider for help on cheaper medications such as generic medications when they are available. You can also go shopping for the lowest price.
- If you have to take at least two medications, find out from your doctor if it is possible to take combination diabetes drugs as they are cheaper.
- Since most state governments extend help to the sick who are not eligible for Medicaid, request for assistance to have diabetes medications and supplies from local community clinics and centers as well as state and local governments.
- Assistance is sometimes offered by certain drug companies to people who have no drug coverage. Enquiries can be made directly to the drug companies.
Diabetes – Managing the Cost – Video Guide
Diabetes supplies
- Know the coverage of your health insurance if you have one.
- Since a box containing one hundred test strips is cheaper than one that contains fifty, order them in bulk. Request the help of your doctor to order in bulk.
- Search for a 90-day mail-order supplies. Most insurance policies gives you a lesser co-pay for such orders.
- Buy supplies and meters with generic brands as they are cheaper.
- Companies do offer free blood sugar monitors. However, look for the one which require cheaper strips since it is through the sales of the strips that the companies get back the cost of the meter.
- Alcohol swabs are not really necessary as washing thoroughly with soap and lots of water will be enough.
- If financial constraints do not allow as manage tests as you wish, find out from your diabetes educator or your doctor the least number of tests you ought to make.
Insulin and its necessary supplies
- Find out from your doctor how long can insulin be used once it has been opened. However, this depends on the type of insulin used. On the insulin pen, write the starting date.
- Know which is more expensive, the vial or the pen. However, if your insulin dosage is small, the insulin pen can cost less since you throw away less insulin after its use for 30 days.
- If a pump is used, find out how your cost can be reduced.
- Buying syringes in larger quantities can be cheaper.
- However, when it comes to purchase of insulin in bigger quantities, check the date of expiry to ensure that whatever has been bought can be used before that date.
The cost of diabetes management is high. However, complications that result from poor management cost even more. So, how is your diabetes cost management?