The test strip crisis that we wrote about earlier is only getting worse.
We of the ACT1 advocacy committee are immensely grateful for all of the donations of non-prescription supplies we’ve received. Generous people around the country have sent in their extra test strips to us– and we assure you that all our supplies are sent to diabetics in desperate need of a lifeline.
The problem? Our lifeline is too short.
ACT1 can only supply a month’s worth of test strips to each recipient, and we cannot provide strips to everyone who applies to our program. Previously, we would direct recipients and those we could not serve to patient assistance programs for a long-term supply of strips. These programs, however, often failed to address the crisis caused by unaffordable supplies:
Johnson & Johnson, makers of OneTouch, only offer a discount card with approximate 30% savings on products. For 100 strips per month, that still means paying $70-$90 out of pocket.
Bayer Pharmaceuticals, maker of Contour and Breeze meters, has no program for test strip assistance.
Roche, makers of Accu-chek meters and strips, recently restructured their patient assistance program. Instead of individuals applying for and receiving strips through the mail, they now must travel to one of only five clinics in each state, register as a patient there, and receive an allottment of test strips through the clinic. These strips are free, but the cost involved in becoming a patient in one of these five clinics can often exceed the cost of over-the-counter test strips. A member wrote to us, ”One manufacturer, Roche, who did offer assistance changed their program this year and only offers help through free outreach clinics. It sounds like a great idea, unless you happen live in an area without free clinics. We live in a rural area without any free clinics; since we live in a different county, we aren’t eligible for test strip assistance at those clinics within driving distance. (Also, they are 1+ hrs. away). But, my diabetes didn’t go away during this time… I still need to test.
And Abbott, the makers of Freestyle strips, recently shut down their patient assistance program. They are currently directing ex-members of the program to buy discounted generic test strips, which cost $30 for a supply of 100. This is not enough for our community members. As one person wrote to us, “Abbott cancelled their test strip distribution program, now I am forced to chose between paying to test my blood sugar and putting food on the table for my kids. Of course I have to buy food. But I have type 1 diabetes and need to test my blood sugar, I don’t know what to do.”
We in the ACT1 advocacy committee try our best, but there’s no way that our program can help everyone that needs help. Even after our donation drive, we still have a long waiting list. In the past week we were able to send 16 packages to PWD’s around the country with life-sustaining supplies, yet we still have 117 people on the wait list. Over one hundred people….and that only accounts for people who have managed to find out website. Nearly all of our recipients need long-term help with test strip expenses until they can find work and health insurance. We want to help everyone, but we can’t keep slapping Band-Aids on a wound as deep as lack of healthcare access and expect everything to turn out right.
This is where we need you– the DOC, our friends, family, Type 1′s and 2′s and LADAs and caregivers– everyone! We are advocating for companies to expand their patient assistance programs so that no diabetic has to go without the supplies they need to stay alive. We understand, and we ask you to understand, that our circumstances can always change, thus when one diabetic has no access to test strips, our entire community is affected.
For several reasons, we’re beginning this campaign for test strips for ALL with Roche Pharmaceuticals. We are asking Roche to commit to mailing test strips to patients who live too far from the five designated health clinics, in order to provide more equal access. What can you do? Contact Roche. Sign our petition. Tell them that people with diabetes NEED to be able to check their blood sugar and accurately plan their treatment. Tell them that, even though they may be strapped, they need to lead the way in keeping their consumers and customers healthy. If you’re an Accu-chek user, tell them that you would consider switching meters if they did not fully support a viable patient assistance program. If you use a different kind of meter, lodge a complaint with them for their inadequate assistance programs– especially if you use Freestyle.
Together, let’s make our advocacy tangible. Let’s do some good for our brothers and sisters without health coverage who can’t afford to keep themselves healthy. Let’s raise our voice to Big Pharma and demand that everyone with diabetes deserves adequate test strip supplies!
I support this worthy campaign.