A number of you took the opportunity on the LifeScan “cringer” discussion here to point out how insanely expensive glucose test strips are. Bravo! There is no doubt we get gouged on these things, which cost about a dollar apiece (!) and most of us — at least most Type 1 diabetics — use an average of 10-12 per day. I’m crappy at math, but my Casio calculator tells me that’s about $4,000/year for the strips alone. WtF?
It is quite true that most glucose meter companies (literally or practically) give away their meters for free, knowing full well that we patients will become hooked on a steady supply of their proprietary test strips.
According to D-industry consultant David Kliff, the actual cost of manufacturing a test strip is only about 8 to 12 cents. But the R&D, logistics, quality testing and packaging costs jack up the price. Still, the vendors make about a 60-80% profit on each box, or possibly even higher, Kliff says. Yikes!
In my book, it’s a slap in the face to the millions of people suffering from diabetes (and its financial burden) that the industry refuses to together to create a standard universal test strip that can be used in any meter. I’m thinking in terms of the technology industry, which created USB cables, storage disks, and CD-ROMs that consumers can use with devices from any manufacturer. But Kliff reminds me that the tech industry had a financial motive: all the vendors could sell more devices using USB and CDs, whereas pharma vendors reap their rewards from selling the strips themselves, not the testing devices.
The US market for diabetic patient monitoring systems is expected to reach $9.1 Billion by 2010. Current market leader Roche Diagnostics makes a whopping $1Billion gross annual profit from its diabetes division alone, with the majority of that money coming from disposable supplies like test strips.
Ugh! We are literally bleeding out that money…
Why would these vendors care to share their intellectual property, when they’re profiting so nicely from it? They’ve all created “meter families” that utilize one branded test strip (like Accu-Check or FreeStyle), but they’ve successfully managed to get us consumers focused on the glucose meter as the key differentiator. In fact, whether a test requires a smaller blood sample or is faster mainly depends on the technology in the test strip itself, Kliff says.
And with just a small tweak, almost every meter could be set up to do without that annoying coding, Kliff adds, but the vendors are rolling out the “no coding” technology slowly, to create some big buzz among us consumers, … “like new Tide with Bleach.”
Their R&D efforts are focused on chipping away at the price of manufacturing the strips — which are churned out by the billions on printing-press like machines somewhere in Asia. If they can knock off just one cent of their cost per strip, they can save billions. Presumably, there’s no intention to pass these savings on to patients.
Meanwhile, those of us who can’t really afford the hundreds of dollars per month for strips are simply going without testing, or cutting corners by snipping the test strips in half, and other tricks that make for dubious — and dangerous — testing results. Ugh.
I haven’t got an answer to this problem. But I intend to start lobbying for more affordable test strips right now. Today. With this post.
Meanwhile, a few sources on purchasing test strips at somewhat-less-painful prices:
* Long discussion thread on About.com/diabetes
* More talk and recommendations at Google Groups
* Comparison shopping at Become.com
Other suggestions?
Come on, Diabetes Community, let’s start making some collective noise here.
try shopwiki.com
i’ll post some more if i think of it later…
I will say that i have been blessed. I have the Prodigy glucose Meter and its great, the other thing i like is that my insurance covers the meter and the test strips. The test strips are very cheap for the high quality. These strips are made her in charlotte nc. I would recommend this company to anyone.
Is there a way to contact a manufacturer in China to make a cheaper test strips? Would that be a solution?
Sam
With regard to Felix’s comment, standards don’t have to mean we settle for the least common denominator. Standards are why we have decent web browsers and why we are able to enjoy wi-fi from place to place with the same laptop. Not having standards in place is why when I get a new mobile phone, I have to check if it is iSync compatible.
If the cost of test strips and the pin pricks is so high here in north America, then how would one be able to fight this epidemic on a world-wide basis.
Not everyone has isurance in the rest of the world.
The cost of even controlling the type II is unbelievably high for someone with limited means.
For most individuals this is not the only thing to worry about as diabetes spreads out its many fangs like an octopus.
The problem is not with the manufactureres, it stems from insurance companies. All health cost problems come from them. They dictate the cost of everything from emergency room care to, yes, test strips. Most diabetics with good coverage don’t even think about the cost of strips because they are covered by their policies. The problem arises when the uninsured have to purchase supplies. We have to buy at a retail rate but the insurance companies, who have much more bargaining power with the manufacturers, arte able to buy wholesale. It’s not health care anymore, it’s simply big business. Unfortunately, the uninsured always suffer because of it.
The rich get richer and the poor stay poor (and unable to stay healthy).
That is total BS Dan, The drug companies dictate the price of the Test strips; especially the ones that are public stock companies. Have a brother in Law who has worked in the Pharma industry for years, he has worked with Baxter,Bausch & Lomb, Norvartis AG & now works for a private concern but still in Pharma in Brussels. He has told me the mark up for North America is 65-80% for testing supplies.
That they do indeed still make the “older” other test meters & ship them to poorer countries & they still make $$$ off of them. He says the unit cost after manufacture is around 7-10 cents depending on the series. All of these things are patented.However he says you probably won’t see a generic meter even when the patent runs out cause the marketing divisions of these same companies will push whatever is the latest & the greatest onto the American public & the AMA. Its all about making PROFIT$$ and return on investment on the patents.
So it turns out my mom was cutting back on her budget! found out her test strips were not fun to buy…. I have spent the evening trying to find her a cheaper place so that I can buy them for her an came across this site. I want to share with everyone that its not worth going without! She is in the hospital just got out of ICU today has been there since sunday. she decided to only test when she did not feel right..
This is a woman who still goes out with her girlfriends for lunch, pays into the local church an has no insurance an does not qualify for medicaid…. She also has no problem paying for cable tv, her cell phone and her weight watchers membership?
I think it is great that you voice our Nations concern about the cost of test strips an how IMPORTANT they are to MONITOR ones health to the point of LIFE or DEATH for many. It should be just as easy to to get help with test strips for the uninsured or the diabetics who cant sacrifice there cable bill – etc as it is to go into planned parenthood an get condems or birth control or the food bank.
I have many more examples but you get the point I am sure..
PLEASE IF THERE IS ANYONE THAT LOVES YOU DO THEM A FAVOR AN
KEEP TESTED! IF YOUR ELECTRIC OR GAS GETS SHUT OFF OR IF YOU ARE OUT OF FOOD YOU WILL FIND A WAY THROUGH FRIENDS FAMILY OR COMMUNITY OFFICE FOR ASSISTANCE…. YOUR TEST STRIPS SHOULD BE THAT IMPORTANT AN IF YOUR NOT LOOKING FOR HELP IT WILL NEVER BE ADDRESSED that is how your community programs for assistance were developed your food banks the planned parenthoods.
There is exciting technology being developed to test blood glucose levels without a blood stick. It’s different than the Glocon and Glucowatch approach.
This would be like a PulseOx model where your finger goes in and the blood glucose level is displayed in seconds on the screen.
no stick, no strip
I hope it comes to the market soon.
I get my One touch ultra test strips from local
Diabetes supplies store. They cost $5 less than ordering online for me.
I get my one touch ultra test strips from local
Diabetes Supplies store. They cost $5 less compare to other chain stores for me.
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I get my one touch ultra test strips from local
Diabetes Supplies store. They cost $5 less compare to other chain stores for me.
Hi: I loved this article. I checked out a couple of the links you offed. I’m not sure I would be interested in buying on ebay but I’m pretty sure most of those are coupon and rebaters reselling the items they get for free or nearly free.
I did want to share a website that I found searching the net because I was desperate. Normally my Accu-check strips are about $108 for 100 plus tax!! Even Walmarts charges $97. So since I do not have insurance, I went looking and I found http://www.healthwarehouse.com. I got 100 strips for $51, then I found an online coupon code that reduced that to $47. the best part is that the shipping was completely free. (the order arrived in about 9 days so order accordingly.)
Another thing I do Is peruse for FREE meter kits. Last sundays paper had coupons for One touch meters… but ONE TOUCH does not include strips at all. They include lancets, but no strips. Rite aid has their little cutie that fits right on the strip bottle (True2go)for $14.99 and their is a peelie on the box for $10 off and inside there is a $4.99 rebate. It does come with strips and lancets but no control solution.
I’m not “officially” diagnosed since I do not have insurance. However 2 hours after lunch one day my brother (68 years old) who has trouble with his glucose and has a meter tested me. The number was 282!! About a week later he tested me 3 hours after dinner and again the numbers were high. So I got my own meter. I’ve mananged to keep it below 200 for the most part, and my averages are coming down slowly, but I’m pretty sure I have type2.
Needless to say the medical industry is charging way too much for their products. I wonder what these same materials would cost in Canada or Mexico. Greedy Bastages.
Thanks for listening…. wish me luck!
I have read the comments here and feel we have to unite on this. I am calling my congressman today and e-mailing OBAMA. He wants to reduce healt care costs..let him start here
I picked up my control strips yesterday and was give a form which I am to put the date, time and my blood sugars. I am to bring in this form each time I want them. I only test 2 times per day. Yet I am to give my private info to the pharmacy which will give it to insurance?
I have just been told that this info is for Medicare.
I do not think this is right.
The strips are expensive because insurance companies pay for them. They should stop paying, then the prices will be forced down to a point where people can afford them themselves.
we need someone in electronics who can make a circuit board strip and gold plate the copper so we can have a re-usable strips, so we can teach the greedy sharks a billion dollar lesson.
This year we changed over to a pay as you go Health Insurance Plan and I finally found out the real cost for test strips. My wife is a type 1 extremely brittle diabetic who needs to tests 10 times a day in order to keep her glucose under control. We were shocked to find out that the actual cost to us is over 1$ per strip (~4000$/yr). The cost to manufacture can not be more than a few pennies a strip in the volumes that are produced. Regardless of who is making the huge profits the cost is not affordable by most of the population of the USA.
Based on this pricing many diabetics will forgo testing to save some money so they can live. The result of not testing will most likely result in poorer health and a greater cost to society.
What can we do as a group to put pressure on the Pharmaceutical Companies/Insurance Companies/Distributers to take some social responsibility and make this much more affordable?
Can we get the government to help?
My husband and I were both laid off 3 months ago. I have been on the insulin pump for 15 years and IDDM for 40. I am checking 10-12 times a day and am now unable to buy my strips due to having no insurance. I have about 5 boxes left but those will be gone in no time. We have no children at home so I am unable to get medicaid. Anyone have any ideas? I use the one touch ultra test strips which work with my pump. It is very scary. Thanks, Barbie
Great News!!! A new test strip will begin being maketed in the 3rd quarter 2010 and the strip will cost 50% less than strips on the market now. It has been cleared by the FDA and WILL NOT be manufactured overseas. It will be produced by a major pharmecutical company located in the midwest. These strips will save diabetic patients from ever having to “ration” glucose testing. Check the link below.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/InstaCare-Subsidiary-Inks-prnews-1719551781.html?x=0&.v=1
Letters here beg question – what the devil is the ADA – american diabetic association doing for us besides nothing. These disgraceful larcenous strip prices are a disgrace when diabetes is ramping out of control and becoming major health issue in America.
Bare minimum for me is 16 strips a day. My logging software says 34 strips a day trying to catch lows and underruns. I am type 2
diabetic and have nasty liver where dawn effect used to be 238 to 258 in am ( midnight was 100) and emergency glucose add by liver ( when BS drops sub 70) is 278 to 311.
Its not just the original vendors that are issue but drugstores etc.
I try and buy mail order at 22 to 35 dollars a tub of 50. Walk into
my local drugstore and it ranges from $60 to $77 per tub of 50 plus the god dam california sales tax.
Prices are unacceptable. Maybe we need antitrust congressional action to stop the larceny.
I just feel like saying this, but it may not even be published because it is “anti-establishment”.
I happened upon this site because I was searching for some way to get less expensive pieces of paper that work in my meter. That is really all they are after all. Ink and paper with special printing. Maybe a little special something in the makeup of the particular paper….just saying. We all know the real cost is way, way less than what we are being charged and markup is astronomical simply because they “can”. I know they need to make some profit, but this current level is ridiculous.
How about taking the focus off being charged the ridiculous price of $1+ for a tiny piece of paper and focus on a cure? Even if there was a real cure for diabetes, it would be shut down or silenced by big business because there is too much money to be made off of keeping us “sick”. Millions of steadily-increasing dollars in profit and thousands of jobs in the industry would be lost. Sort of like adding addictive elements to foods and then wondering why so many people are so obese and unable to detox & get healthier. Greed is the root of it all.
I’m trying everything I cant to get healthier and none of the methods I’m interested in make any single entity much money. It’s no surprise they are dismissed. I don’t know if it will work, but what I’m trying right now is the 30 day raw food method by Gabriel Cousins. I wont put a link to it because I don’t know if it works or not as I’m still attempting to do it myself ( and it IS VERY hard to stick to in this world of addictive processed foods) but it’s under “raw for 30″ if you care to look for yourself.
The way I see it, big pharma/insurance/govt/healthcare want us is fat, sick and dependent daily on medications/supplies they create and sell to us for as little cost as possible and as high profit as possible to line each other’s pockets. They charge us what they can get away with and the systems are all woven tightly together. And we are playing right into their spiderweb like accepting little flies.
*stepping off my soapbox*
I see these ads all over the internet “WE WILL BUY YOUR TEST STRIPS” for people that can’t afford to buy them. I want to know what organization these people are with and how to get the cheaper test strips that they buy?? Is that legit? Does anyone know??