HIGH COST OF INSULIN ADVERSELY AFFECTS POOR

Bill Releford, DPM, a podiatrist in Inglewood, shared the story of a 48-year-old African American man living with diabetes in Los Angeles. He calls him Jamal M. to maintain his privacy. Dr. Releford specializes in reducing the amputation rate related to diabetes and helping diabetic patients suffering from poor circulation. Releford says Jamal M. nurses a large irritable sore on his foot, a diabetic ulcer. Every day, Jamal M. is faced with tending to the hard-to-heal lesion so that his foot will not have to be cut off while managing the underlying medical condition he has learned to live with despite the challenges. But to stay on top of them, Releford says, Jamal M. has to keep up with costly co-payments for doses of the life-saving insulin that his doctor prescribes.

 

Dr. Bill Releford

 

Unfortunately, Jamal M. can’t afford his share of the cost for his insulin, which falls between $400 to $500 per month. “Jamal M. was splitting his insulin dosages in half” in an attempt to curb the medical cost to purchase the synthetic hormone that regulates his blood sugar, Releford told California Black Media. “It really wasn’t working,” Releford explained. “So, here we have this person who is struggling to stay alive and has an aspiration of earning an MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree.”

 

Source: Fisher Jack, Lee Bailey's eurweb [8/4/20]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News