Samuel Grossman, BS Pharm, Pharm.D, CDE Answered 3/31/2015

Many of the new medications are more expensive than older medications that have a generic equivalent. Ask your provider to contact your insurance company to find out if the specific medication is covered by your insurance and what your co-payment may be. If you are a cash paying patient, your provider can contact the pharmacy to find out how much money you may be charged. If you cannot afford some medications, there are many treatment options in diabetes which may be beneficial to you and not so expansive. If you or your provider are insisting on using more expensive and you still cannot afford the treatment, I suggest that you contact the customer service of the company or manufacturer that makes the medication. Some manufacturers have different pricing programs that can make some expensive products available at a cheaper price if you meet some criteria. In addition, you can contact local diabetes associations.These associations may have programs to allow patients who cannot afford medications to get them for free or at a reduced price.