Diabetes Community

Oh... and I just googled LANTUS COST and all that pops up is Canadien companies trying to sell this online. What I am looking for is the pharnacy cost with or without insurance.. anyone take this medicine with an answer?

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Welcome back Damondj

Insulin prices vary depending on the pharmacy that you go to. Bigger chain pharmacies have a lower price than some of the smaller ones. Your best bet would be to call around and get some pricing. You can go to any pharmacy and ask what their price would be.

Now, there may be a difference in price for "out of pocket" payers, and those who have insurance but have to pay "100%". Pharmacies contract with insurances to charge less, ergo the total price for someone with insurance is less than if you just walk up and buy one. Ask the pharmacy if they would be able to provide the insurance adjusted price.

It depends on the insurance. I have Avmed and my copay is 25 for the Lantus. Your insurance plan should have a formulary list that shows the prices for certain medicine.

By chance are you getting whats called a CDH plan or a "consumer driven health" plan?

I've never bought the pens but have paid about 150.00 a vial for Lantus. I don't use Humalog. I use Humalin 70/30 which i can get for 25.00 at Walmart. The same vial is between 125-150 at other drug stores. It's too bad Walmart doesn't sell cheap Lantus. You can also get Humalin N or R at Walmart for 25.00 a vial.

Anon_326, I use both Lantus and Humalog pens. I used the vials before the pens. Both are the same amount of insulin in the vials as in the pens.

Your best bet would be to call the pharmacies around you and that you trust. I had to do that for insurance purposes and they do vary.

I have used Walgreen's for years and the price for Lantus and Humalog is around the same. $240.00 (more or less) for five pens at each refill. My co-pay is $45.00. The pens for Lantus and Humalog come five to a box. Depending on how much you use daily will tell how long those pens will last you. All insulins last 28-30 days ONLY once they are opened. Found out the hard way by trying to extend one insulin one day longer and it did NOT WORK to lower my blood sugar. An open pen does not require refrigeration, but the unused ones stay refrigerated.

Your co-pay is going to depend on your Medicare plan and Supplemental. You should call both before you embark on this "adventure." Insulin is not cheap no matter where you go if Lantus and Humalog are prescribed by your doctor.

You do need to call your insurance ASAP to clarify things.

This can be confusing as you said "and the price for Lantus and Humalog is around the same. $240.00 (more or less) for five pens at each refill. My co-pay is $45.00." So the cost is actually $45 for 5 pens and not the $240 which is high? Also if the doctor puts me on the pen is it neccesary to take other pills with it or is the pen good enough? Not sure what my Bravo plan is price wise as it does not state it on there Web Site... its the Bravo Achieve plan. Zero premiums and zero deductible which sounded good to me. I dread the thought of sticking a needle in me but I've played around too long and when I took my blood a few minutes ago it read 289 so it is not going down... my A1c last time was 9.0... my new plan kicks in November first and I guess I can wait till then before going on it... but I'm getting antsy. If I drop the pills I can probaly afford the high price but not sure what it is...

I think what auriga was saying is that the cost for both insulins (in pen form) is around $240. That is what the manufacturers set the price at. The Copay is what he pays, his insurance pays the rest. Most pharmacy insurances have an amount that you pay, and an amount what they pay, and that makes up the total cost. If you dont have insurance, you pay the total cost. If your plan has a deductible, you pay the total cost till the deductible is met.

Insulin and pills work completely different ways. It's between you and the doctor to decide the best method of action regarding your diabetes. If you are not able to control your sugars will pills, then insulin is for you. BUT. Insulin requires a lot more diligence, a lot more precision to make sure you are giving the right amount at the right time. If you give yourself a shot and it's too much or not at the right time, there is a real possibility of harming yourself or even going into insulin shock. I'm not saying this as scare tactics, but letting you know that this step is an important one and you have to pay attention to every detail.

Wow, that does scare me as I keep strange hours and eat at weird times... I was not aware of insulin shock as I thought if I took Lantus or Humalog it kept you even throughout the day?

Insulin you dose yourself. Pills are pre-dosed.

Lantus is a 24 hour insulin, but that doesnt mean it will always keep you at the same numbers all the time. It means that there is an even level of insulin for the 24 hours. Humalog is a rapid acting insulin. It has an onset of 15 minutes, peaks at about 2 hours, then is out of your system in 4 hours (give or take, its different for everyone, but those are a good estimate). You have to give yourself the right dose for what you eat.

For example. For breakfast I'm planning on eating 15 grams of carbs. For me, that means I have to give myself 3 units of humalog to cover the 15 grams. If I decide to have an extra serving of fruit, that means I need to change my dose of insulin. If i choose to eat less, I need to give myself less insulin.

For people just starting out on insulin, a lot of doctors will give you a set dose, but also a set number of carbs to eat per meal. Back when I was diagnosed before there was lantus, I was mixing 2 different kinds of insulin twice a day. The shot I gave myself at breakfast determined what I ate at lunch.

I know this is a lot of information. Make sure that before starting insulin you take lots of notes, get lots of information, and make sure you know as much as you can.

Exactly, Laura.

Damonj, the doctor will start you out at an insulin dosage he/she thinks might work for you. A lot depends on your weight and activity level. This is just generally speaking: the usual start dosage for a long-acting insulin (24 hr.) such as Lantus is between 15-18U. When taking insulin, it is imperative you check your blood glucose levels daily. If the long-acting insulin does not bring your levels where they should be (not taking into account any meals), your dosage may change, either up or down.

I started out at 15U of Lantus in the a.m. (Lantus is advertised as a night-time insulin, but my doctor prefers the a.m. dose. Some patients even split the dosage between a.m. and p.m.) The 15U didn't quite do the trick, so the dosage was upped to 18U. All I can say, is that the doctor kept on top of this and I was to call every day and report my a.m. fasting numbers. My dosage of Lantus was upped to 40U, so my readings would fall below 100.

Totally different story with meals. Any carbs I ingested would raise my blood sugar despite taking Lantus. A meal-time insulin was added to counter that. That is the Humalog I take.

As Laura stated, a lot to take on and understand. It all comes with time. AND, we are all different. For me, the Humalog is 1U of insulin to 12 grams of carbs. This changes, too. The more I exercised, the less my need for all that insulin. The dosage used to be 1U to 10 gm. carbs. I was also able to lower my dose of Lantus, because I decided to consume less carbs on a daily basis and stay as active as I can.

The medication/insulin protocol will be determined by your doctor and how compliant you are. Don't be afraid if things don't work out the way you like immediately. This will require another call to your doctor. Insulin will bring your numbers down immediately if you do things right. It takes time to determine the right dosage and if you will also need oral medication. Each doctor is different.

Regarding the cost, what I was saying is that the $240 is the retail price at my pharmacy. The co-pay is $45.00; the insurance pays the rest (determined by what their contract is with the pharmacy.)

Just so you know, my first A1c was 13.2, an average blood sugar reading on a daily basis of 393. With the Lantus and Humalog at the right dosaging, the proper carb-counting and exercise, I now have it down to 5.8. It takes work and determination. My fasting this a.m. was 86. I'm thrilled because it used to be between 250 and 300. Those numbers cause a lot of damage that you don't know you have until it's too late.

Laura, thank you for a clear and concise picture.

Thank you for the info as it does help. I just took my Blood Count and will do another posting as it has me upset, appeciate your help....

My insurance won't cover my Lantus Solostar Pens; I pay $183.20 for a box of five. I also take Victoza at a whopping $372.15 out-of-pocket (same insurance won't cover it). However, I am fortunate enough to carry a second insurance and will be able to submit my receipts for full (or nearly full) reimbursement. So much for my employer's insurance plan, and thank goodness for secondary insurance through my spouse. I'd be screwed otherwise.