Rationing Insulin

There are thirty million people living with some form of diabetes across the U.S. Seven million of those need insulin to survive. But since 1996, the price of insulin has increased more than 1,000 percent, limiting access to the drug. As a result of the high price, people across the U.S. have started rationing insulin—using less of it than they need—and some have died doing so. Diabetics across the socio-economic spectrum are feeling the crunch. One Bay Area man, Arif Arshad, is rationing his own insulin, even though he has a job and health insurance–he’s saving it just in case his life circumstances change. Arif has recently joined the Bay Area chapter of T1International, an advocacy group led by people with diabetes. They’re pushing for policy change here in California, like price caps and a mandatory guarantee that all insurance companies will cover all insulin costs.