By WP Creative Group

February 16, 2024

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Diabetes is one of the most common chronic health conditions in the United States. And for more than 30 million patients and their caretakers, diabetes medication and management can be a serious burden.

Advocates have rallied for governmental price regulation on diabetes treatments, drugmaker price caps and other solutions, and while change in these areas has been slow to come, technological innovators are finding new ways to fill the gaps. Today, millions of patients are saving billions of dollars collectively — and finding easier access to quality care for every aspect of managing diseases, like diabetes — through health tech platforms and tools.

Understanding the state of diabetes in the U.S.

Diabetes is notoriously taxing, stressful and expensive to manage. It is also increasingly prevalent. According to 2021 census data analyzed by the CDC, nearly 30 million Americans of all ages — approximately 11 percent of the total U.S. population — are living with diabetes. Another 8.7 million may have undiagnosed diabetes. Risk rises with age. By age 65, American adults have almost a one in three chance of having diabetes.¹ Other risk factors include socioeconomic status and race — Black Americans have double the diabetes risk of white Americans² — as well as individual factors, from body weight to sedentary lifestyle and family history.

Of the millions of Americans managing diabetes, many struggle to navigate the exorbitant cost of care — and reducing those expenses is the primary focus area for GoodRx, explained Karla Robinson, MD, a medical editor at GoodRx. Since its launch in 2011, the company reports that it has helped almost 2.5 million Americans save more than $500 million on diabetes treatments. Through industry partnerships, GoodRx makes diabetes treatments and medications more accessible, while also helping people manage every aspect of the disease through tools like its Diabetes Resource Center. For example, pharmaceutical company Sanofi has leveraged GoodRx’s vast consumer reach to make it easier for patients to access their Lantus brand insulin for a $35 flat, monthly rate, regardless of insurance status.

The savings can really add up, and when people can afford their medication, Dr. Robinson said, they have an easier time adhering to their treatment plans — leading to better health outcomes. A recent GoodRx report, “The GoodRx Effect: How GoodRx is Changing the Economics of Healthcare,” found that people using GoodRx have saved up to 88 percent off the average commercial insurance copay for popular, brand-name diabetes medications.

The rollercoaster of insulin pricing

Despite the work of companies like GoodRx, there is still more to be done to decrease and stabilize the cost of diabetes treatments — particularly insulin. Not all people with diabetes require insulin, but for those who do, it’s absolutely critical. And with its inflated and inconsistent pricing, it’s been a lightning rod for conversations about healthcare accessibility and equity in recent years. This is one of the key areas where Dr. Robinson thinks GoodRx can help improve patients’ care.

“Insulin is truly a life-saving medication,” she said. “For somebody who’s living with diabetes and is dependent upon insulin, from day to day, not having their medication or being late by a couple of hours with their insulin can really mean a difference in life or death.”

Yet, studies show it’s often an extreme financial burden. In a recent report by U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA),³ doctors shared that it’s not uncommon for patients to decline to take their full dose of insulin in order to save money, which can lead to emergency room visits, hospitalizations and even long-term organ damage.

High prices have leveled somewhat in the past three years due to various factors: namely, FDA approvals of insulin generics and biosimilars; policy changes (including a $35 insulin copay cap that benefits about 1.5 million Americans on Medicare); and to some drugmakers limiting patients’ out-of-pocket costs in response to public outcry and state-led lawsuits. While these changes have made insulin more affordable, GoodRx research shows that even still, costs have risen by more than 30 percent in the past decade.⁴ And while lower prices are out there, they can be hard to find: Prescription costs vary by as much as $100 from one pharmacy to another.

This may be why GoodRx has proven to be one of the most downloaded medical apps over the past decade. GoodRx has a price comparison tool that processes over 200 billion price data points every day, allowing users to price medications and find the lowest ones in their area. The company also works directly with continuous glucose monitor and test strip makers like Dexcom and LifeScan, and insulin manufacturers like aforementioned Sanofi, to launch special partnerships for savings. The Dexcom partnership has helped qualifying patients save an average of 57 percent off the retail price of Dexcom G7, according to GoodRx data.

Patients using GoodRx for price comparisons and discounts shared they’re saving thousands of dollars per month while making lifestyle modifications that make management easier.

Bridging the health literacy gap

Insulin isn’t the only expense involved for those living with diabetes. According to a GoodRx report, the average person with diabetes may lose as much as $4,600 a year to out-of-pocket costs including prescription medications, provider visits, over-the-counter supplies and lost wages. This figure climbs higher if emergency room visits, hospital stays or home health services are required, or if diabetes leads to other chronic health complications that require additional treatment

While cost is a significant barrier to better diabetes care, Dr. Robinson said, a lack of clear, concise information about the basics and the pressing questions of management and treatment can be just as dire.

GoodRx resources — like the Diabetes Center created by GoodRx Health — provide current, expert-vetted, “very easy-to-understand, very actionable” information on treatments, medications, common concerns and more for both patients and their loved ones, penned by medical professionals, Dr. Robinson pointed out.

“GoodRx helps me walk people through their journey by connecting them with the information they need about managing diabetes and finding prices [for their medications and treatments] that really work for them, their lifestyle, their family – so that they can have ongoing maintenance of their condition,” she said. “It has been a game changer.”

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