After losing his job and insurance, Jeremy Crawford, 39, struggled to afford the insulin he needed to survive. He tried using Walmart insulin (retailing for $25), but it didn’t work well.
Some politicians like to point to Walmart-price insulins and say that there are low-cost alternatives. However, Walmart insulins just don’t perform nearly as well as the more expensive insulins. Insulins are not interchangeable as some industry leaders would like us to believe. Switching insulins can negatively affect the health of people with diabetes, making blood sugar mangement more irregular and raising A1C scores.
As Jeremey got sicker, he resisted calling 911 to get the help he needed because he could not afford it. He died from diabetic ketoacidosis.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening problem that affects people with diabetes. It occurs when the body starts breaking down fat at a rate that is much too fast. The liver processes the fat into a fuel called ketones, which causes the blood to become acidic.
We are shedding light on the tragic consequences of rationing insulin and DKA on Divabetic’s upcoming mystery podcast, A Christmas Peril, debuting in September 2021. Our most popular podcast’s cozy mystery format allows us to reach a broader audience to raise awareness for these critical issues.
No one with diabetes should die because they can’t afford their insulin.
The Right Care Alliance (RCA) is a grassroots coalition of clinicians, patients, and community members organizing to make health care institutions accountable to communities and put patients, not profits, at the heart of health care.
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