My name is Mary Combellick and I am a grandmother and retiree living in Gettysburg, South Dakota. I wanted to share with you today the story of my struggles to afford my diabetes medication. 

I have had diabetes since 2006, and it has completely altered my life. My doctor prescribed me a number of diabetes medications that were meant to help me keep my A1C levels down. One of these medications was Onglyza, which worked well for me until I had to stop taking it.

Unfortunately, I was forced to stop taking it because the cost was just too high. It would have cost me $300 per month, and I simply couldn’t afford it. I am a senior citizen and I live off a fixed income. I have a drug supplement plan in addition to Medicare, but it still didn’t cover the costs. I worked most of my life, and I just want to enjoy my retirement in peace. I don’t want to spend my time worrying about being prescribed medication by my doctor that is too expensive. If I were prescribed a drug like Onglyza again, I would have to use a credit card to pay for it, and I would go into debt.

I think it is appalling that senior citizens are having to choose between food or medication, and I think it’s appalling that I had to stop taking a medication my own doctor prescribed me. I encourage other people to take a stand against Big Pharma by sharing their own drug pricing stories, because we’re all in this fight together.