Real Stories, Real People
Patient Testimonies
Patients like me have to plan our whole lives around the costs.
My name is Kaitlyn May and I live in Plattsburg, Missouri. When I was 15 years old I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic, long-term disease that affects my liver. After spending two and a half years trying to determine my diagnosis, I mostly focused on the health side […]
Patient Testimonies
Drug prices have forced me to ration my multiple sclerosis meds.
My name is Carol and I’m from Bisbee, AZ. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004 and began receiving daily Copaxone injectionsin 2005. I was shocked at the price tag — if I recall correctly, my insurance plan was billed $1,500 each month, and the price of Copaxone kept rising. At one point, my […]
Patient Testimonies
Drug company greed took five years of my life from me.
My name is Rachel Conner and I live in Chapmansboro, Tennessee. When I was 20 years old, I was diagnosed with OCD and depression. I lived in a constant state of anxiety, to the point that I was only sleeping 45 minutes a night and often couldn’t eat because of my anxiety. In 2011, I […]
Patient Testimonies
An extremely expensive diagnosis.
My name is Amber Gore and I live in Joliet, Illinois. In November of 2013, while I was a senior in high school, I injured myself while cheerleading. I went to the doctor and after checking my vitals, the doctors discovered that I have type 1 diabetes. I quickly realized that type 1 diabetes can […]
Patient Testimonies
I pay $600 on prescriptions each month.
My name is Jane and I’m from Phoenix, AZ. I’m now 65 years old, and I have lived with diabetes since I was 11. Insulin makes up the bulk of my medication costs. This year, I watched as my copay for a one-month supply of Levemir, a long-acting insulin, skyrocketed from $20 to $180. I […]
Patient Testimonies
I worry about my daughter's future.
My name is Kristen and I’m from Plymouth, Massachusetts. I have two children, a 9-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter. They both have autism spectrum disorder and my daughter also has type 1 diabetes. Struggling to cover expensive treatments and supplies while trying to secure affordable, quality health insurance has been a relentless challenge, one […]
Patient Testimonies
My name is Tonya Scales and I live in Greensboro, North Carolina. I’m the proud grandmother of five grandkids, the youngest of whom has asthma. I am retired but am helping to raise my grandkids and make sure they get the medicines they need. Being a single mother with a sick child is stressful. Having […]
Patient Testimonies
$800 per month just on insulin.
My name is Dr. Julia Blanchette and I live in Cleveland, Ohio. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes over 20 years ago and need insulin to live. I was always aware of the widespread unaffordability of insulin, but the financial burden of insulin became real for me while I was working on my Ph.D. […]