Johnson & Johnson/Life Scan partners with consumer advocate
MILPITAS, Calif. To help people with diabetes get the most value for their healthcare dollar, Johnson & Johnson/LifeScan, maker of OneTouch branded blood glucose meters, has teamed with consumer advocate and syndicated columnist Jim Miller.
"People with diabetes are especially challenged [in today’s economy] because their healthcare costs are twice as high as those of people without diabetes,” stated Alan Cariski, VP worldwide medical safety and external affairs at LifeScan. "While it may be tempting to cut back on healthcare spending by skipping medications or reducing blood glucose testing, we're working to remind people how important it is to follow the diabetes care regimen recommended by their healthcare professional to help safeguard their health.”
Miller and OneTouch offer the following tips, which include ways to reduce co-pays and find savings through employers and lifestyle modifications – all of which can help people with diabetes maintain their physical and financial health.
For people with health insurance, Miller recommends that consumers:
- Talk to their pharmacist or insurance company to make sure they’re getting prescriptions and testing supplies at the lowest co-pay. If not, they should talk to their physician about switching prescriptions to the products with the lowest co-pays covered by their health plan.
- Buy prescriptions in quantity. For example, a three-month prescription may save money on dispensing fees, which can make it less expensive than buying it month to month. Take advantage of a flexible spending account, if offered by their employer. It reduces taxes by letting consumers pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses and over-the-counter products with pre-tax dollars.
- Find out if their employer health plan offers any special programs for individuals with chronic conditions that may provide certain needed prescriptions and products for free. For instance, United Healthcare has recently launched a diabetes plan with incentives for prevention.
For people with inadequate or no insurance, Miller suggests consumers:
- Search for one of the many free or low-cost programs, including individual pharmacy plans, that offer assistance with getting prescriptions or supplies for those who qualify. Good resources for researching these programs include: www.TogetherRxAccess.com; www.Access2wellness.com; www.pparx.org; www.rxassist.org; and www.needymeds.org.
- Look into free or low-cost health clinics. Federally funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, there are thousands of health centers around the U.S. that provide low-cost healthcare to people based on financial need.
For all people with diabetes, Miller recommends: