I think about the cost of living with diabetes. A lot. Moreso as I get older. When I think about building financial security for myself, my number one motivator is to make sure that I will be able to meet the costs of living with diabetes today, and into the future. Which don’t come cheap.
FreeStyle Libre Sensors: $1,140
I currently wear a FreeStyle Libre in a 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off pattern. Because a) it’s expensive, b) I don’t want to become too reliant on one if I can’t afford it in the future and c) I become too overwhelmed with the data after wearing one for too long.
1 sensor sets me back a cool $92.50. Let’s assume I use around 12 per year, which adds up to $1,140 per year. Admittedly, this is a luxury that I could do without if need be.
Test Strips: $476
I would go through at least 15 test strips to monitor my blood sugar each day for the 26 weeks of the year that I’m not wearing a FreeStyle Libre sensor.
That’s 2,730 test strips a year.
Or 28 boxes of 100 test strips a year.
A box of test strips will set me back $17, which costs me a beautiful $476 each year.
Insulin pump infusion sets: $217.10
I would change the infusion set on my insulin pump every three days. Let’s assume that the 4 week pump break I have taken in the past 12 months, where I wasn’t using infusion sets, will cancel out the cost of infusion sets that have failed on me or lasted less than three days.
Thats a total of 122 infusion sets each year.
Or 13 boxes of 10 sets per year.
A box of infusion sets will set me back $16.70, which totals a fantastic $217.10 a year.
Insulin pump cartridges: $111
I’m replacing the insulin cartridge in my pump once every four days since starting on the t:slim (where cartridges aren’t as easily reusable).
That’s 92 cartridges per year.
Or 10 boxes of 10 cartridges per year.
A box of cartridges sets me back $11.10, which adds up to a cool $111 each year.
Rapid acting insulin: $79
A 3ml cartridge of NovoRapid insulin lasts me roughly 7 days.
That’s 52 cartridges a year.
Or two scripts per year, each containing five boxes of five NovoRapid cartridges.
A script of NovoRapid penfill cartridges sets me back $39.50, which is a cheap as chips $79 per year.
Long acting insulin: $19.75
I use an insulin pump, which means that I only use rapid acting insulin. However, I like to keep long acting insulin on hand in the fridge in case a) my pump dies or b) I’m ready to throw it at a wall and need to go back to injections for the sake of my sanity.
A script of long acting insulin will set me back $39.50.
The insulin has a shelf life of two years, which comes in at a cool 50% off, setting me back $19.75 per year.
Private Health Insurance: $996
I wouldn’t want to be without a private health insurance policy. It covers the cost of any hospital visits, treatment, as well as rebates on other services such as dental and optical. It’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind, as well as the $9,000 insulin pump that was fully covered under my policy in 2016!
I pay $83 per month, which comes in at just under a cool 1k, or $996 per year.
General Practitioner: $32
I’ve visited my GP four times in the past year. When I’m not feeling well, if I’m in need of a more potent drug, a doctor’s note or a fresh script of insulin inbetween endo visits. Or if I’m dying.
After a Medicare rebate, I’m usually left to pay $8 out of pocket, which adds up to an awesome $32 per year.
Hypo Treatment: $40
My go-to treatment for hypos are Skittles.
I buy them in party buckets.
I would buy four party buckets a year.
A party bucket sets me back $10, which totals a nice $40 a year.
Diabetes care: Free
I’m currently accessing all of my diabetes care at the diabetes outpatient clinic in a public hospital, which is completely free thanks to the Medicare system in Australia. Sometimes the wait times are long, and the continuity of care isn’t always there, but it’s free. I’m pretty switched on and well connected with my diabetes today, so that is enough for now.
My annual eye and foot examinations and are also bulk billed through Medicare, even though I access these privately, leaving me with no out of pocket expenses.
Grand Total – $3,110.85
I could assign a dollar value to the sum of all of these various costs associated with living with diabetes, and whinge about how I’m sacrificing coffees or Spotify subscriptions or overseas travel.
However, the real price tag on all of the above is my life.
Without insulin, test strips, needles, hospitals or healthcare (to name a few), I would not be here today to tell the tale.
Sadly, this is still a reality for many who don’t have the privilege of being born into countries as lucky as ours.
You’ve more thank likely heard of the Spare a Rose campaign going through the diabetes community at the moment, so I’m just going to leave this very self explanatory graphic here.
Your donation will enable Life for a Child to provide life saving insulin to a child in need for a month, as well as support ongoing efforts to provide blood glucose monitoring and diabetes education to children in 42 different countries.
TOM RIORDAN
P’haps our elected representatives will deign to widen the subsidised access to sensors soon. Surely a greater usage will drive overall price reductions. The cost is definitely onerous.
tony sangster
Thank you, Frank for a most thoughtful post. I would not like to add up all my expenses over the years !! And I cannot see private insurance getting any cheaper.
Some diabetics have won the battle in the UK about Libre but of course the NHS is different to here.
Why cannot Aussie health services and Governments be more on the ball? And why not negotiate here for better prices like they do with the PBS?
Rick Phillips
I am delighted that once again this year, Sheyrl and i have donated $1.00 US dollar for each year of marriage plus one to grow on. It is one of the highlights of our year, this year is no exception.
Alex Erskine
Yes, the ongoing costs are onerous and it is a constant battle for T1Ds between everyday information, wellbeing and cost. Even more daunting when you start thinking about the T1D costs, implications for longevity and implied need for contributions to superannuation.
Merinda
I’d very much like to know which health insurance company you’re with Frank and what sort of plan, as I pay double what you’re paying and only have hospital cover with a $500 excess – no extras! So for health insurance alone I fork out $1968 per year, and it goes up every April… I would dearly love to loop, but can’t afford the $95 per week cost for a CGM, let alone all the other components. Hopefully Diabetes Australia will convince the government to add them to the NDSS in the not too distant future. And don’t get me started on them even considering drug testing at music festivals – GRRRRRR!
Frank
I’m with Medibank. The package is called core hospital and basic extras, and it has a $500 excess if I’m admitted to hospital. It basically covers hospital, dental, optical and an insulin pump. Medibank currently cover insulin pumps on a basic tier hospital policy, but that could change in future.
Ivan
There sure is a lot of people profiting for diabetes not being cured.