Mark Luigi Dacumos
If you’re on a limited budget, being a person with diabetes can be a nightmare. First, you must constantly worry about your health and all the complications the disease can bring, like blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, and a loss of your toes, feet, or legs. And second, you have to come up with ways to pay for diabetes supplies.
Just how costly can diabetes be? According to the CDC, very costly, as people with diabetes have medical expenses twice as high as those without it. And if you feel like you’re alone in your financial frustrations with diabetes, don’t, as one in every 10 people has the disease.
Unlike other expenses, you can’t eliminate diabetes treatment, as you need it to survive.
What do people with diabetes do to pay for their supplies? Everything they can, as Wakefield Research reported that 48 percent went to extreme lengths to pay for diabetes treatment. This includes such measures as:
- Racking up credit card debt (22%)
- Borrowing money from friends and family (21%)
- Taking money out of savings or retirement accounts (19%)
As for working to pay those costs, that’s another huge concern. The same study found that 69% said they fear having to work longer than they’d like to pay for diabetes care, while 62% feared they wouldn’t be able to continue working due to issues with the disease.
Tips To Save on Diabetes Supplies
Although the cost of diabetes supplies continue to increase, there are some ways to cut your costs, such as:
1. Talk to your doctor.
Ask your doctor if they know of any ways to save on prescriptions and diabetes supplies. They may be able to give you free samples or recommendations for cheaper generic options. Ask if you can split pills too to save a bit of cash.
2. Don’t skimp on blood sugar checks.
While it can save you money now, you could end up with massive costs later on via trips to the emergency room, sick days, and severe damage to your health.
3. Talk to drug manufacturers.
Visit their websites or call them. Find out if they have any discount or patient assistance programs to make their prescriptions cheaper.
4. Buy your supplies online.
You can save by buying what you need directly from the manufacturer versus using a third party.
Tips To Save on Blood Glucose Test Strips
1. Look into subscriptions.
A company like Accu-Check can offer a subscription so you can get your necessary test strips regularly, but at a discount.
2. Read the fine print.
Don’t fall for online deals where you only get discounts at a first-time buyer. This will lead to sticker shock when the price skyrockets later on once that promotion is exhausted.
Also, don’t waste your money on expired strips. Yes, they will be cheaper, but they won’t give you accurate readings, and you’ll need to buy others to replace them. In short, you’ll be tossing your money in the trash.
3. Avoid scams by buying directly from the source.
Again, you want to avoid throwing away your hard-earned money on expired or counterfeit test strips. Since 95% of online pharmacies are not legit, according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, you’re better off buying directly from the manufacturer. As mentioned, it could lower your costs too.
4. Get a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
An FSA lets you take money from your paycheck and put it automatically towards healthcare costs. Doing so not only ensures you have money set aside for when you need it, but it can also lead to savings on diabetes supplies like lancing devices, meters, test strips, and more.
