I just have a general question. I'm looking at different insurance companies right now and we're going over price of insulin and deductibles. How much does insulin cost without insurance. I'm looking at Novolog Flexpin INJ 5X3ml and Lantus Solostar Pen INJ 5X3ml specifically. Anyone who's going through this or has, please help.
Thanks.
I don't know about the pen but wen I did not have insurance insulin usually cost me about $25 a vial.
Vegan,
I am moving to wherever you live!!! I pay $30 a vial WITH insurance. I heard it was over $100 without insurance.
Wow. That's funny I live in California and pretty much any Walmart, Target, etc sells insulin for about that price. You just have to buy the generic brand. I use to do it all the time before I had insurance.
http://www.relion.com/diabetes/insulin-product-27.htm
Lantus vials with insurance for me was $35, without insurance $100
Most recently I paid $98.56 at Walgreens for a vial of Lantus and $105.94 for a vial of Novolog. I do not have insurance... I think that the pens might be more. I was using pens for a while, but the pen tips are so much more expensive than plain old syringes... Also I kind of didn't trust that it was actually delivering the insulin because I couldn't see it....
[quote user="Happy Vegan"]
Wow. That's funny I live in California and pretty much any Walmart, Target, etc sells insulin for about that price. You just have to buy the generic brand. I use to do it all the time before I had insurance.
http://www.relion.com/diabetes/insulin-product-27.htm
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There is generic insulin????? How did I not know this?
I don't take lantus or nph so not really sure on the prices for that. Since the age of 24 I have been on generic insulin. Works the same and is made by the same people.
Really? Is it just for pumps?
No. When I did not have insurance I was on R. I rarely took long acting insulin. My body has trouble with it and it isn't worth the risk. Just go into your walmart, or call firs and ask if they carry reli on insulin. I checked and it isn't sold on line, but it is listed as less than $25.
Thanks for that info! That is amazing to know!!!! So as far as dosing and peaking goes, it is kind of like Novolog or Humalog?
Same makers same everything, different label. Everything works the same. I am sure it is the same for the novolog too, but I have never taken it. It is really the only way I could have afforded to live before I got my insurance, Walmart pharmacy.
Wow! I am sorry if I seem dense I am just having my mind blown that this exists and I didn't know about it!
No it's okay really. I was cut from my insurance abruptly when I was 24 and had to manage on my own without a pump for two years. It really sucked rotten fruit. I had to take a shot about every four hours because my body doesn't really work well with long acting insulin. If it wasn't for the generic insulin I don't know how I would have done it.
You can also just call the pharmacy and ask what a bottle would run you without insurance.... I used to have a high-deductible plan and paid out-of-pocket for a while, so that's how I found who sold it for the cheapest.
Same as everyone else, I understand that a vile of insulin will run you about/upwards of $100. My Rx is for 4 viles, but with insurance (Aetna) it's $37.50...used to be $10 when I was on my mom's insurance.
Vegan,
I am DEFINATLY going to look into this! If I can get it cheaper than my insurance can get it for then I am all over that! Thanks for letting us know, this is truly a big help!
You may also want to consider still buying the pen insulin vials, because you can still use them with syringes. There are 5 in a pack, and I am not exactly sure on the price, but I want to say that is about the same as 1 vial. That is what we do. (Just don't jam a syringe into the pen vial and then stick the vial in a pen, as the accuracy may be affected). Depending on your insulin needs, you might get away with having to purchase less often because you won't have to throw away whats left in the regular vial at the end of the month - you might have 1 or two pen vials left unopened...
When I asked about cost and different insulin at our endo he left the room, came back and said open your purse. He put in at least a 6 month supply of samples. Maybe ask your endo for a sample or two if you having a hard time paying for it or getting it for a reasonable cost. I am in no way saying that I expect to receive free insulin forever (or until a cure) but it did help us out at a bad time.
[quote user="JDVsMom"]
you might get away with having to purchase less often because you won't have to throw away whats left in the regular vial at the end of the month
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I never throw insulin away after 28 days. I use every last drop in the vial. I've never noticed any drop off of effectiveness or anything. What, does it go bad and stop working on the 29th day? It's a sin to waste insulin. This what I've always wondered, why don't they make 5000 unit vials instead 10000 unit vials. Then this wouldn't even be an issue. I once asked a representative from Eli Lilly or some other insulin company about this at a seminar at their booth. She said it really didn't go bad after 28 days. Take that for whatever it's worth. Maybe she just didn't know what she was talking about.