COLUMBIA, S.C. — Eli Lilly, one of the country's largest Insulin producers announced it would be dropping the cost to purchase Insulin by 70%.
Insulin is an unfortunate added expense.
That's what Gabby Heraly says after facing after recently being diagnosed with diabetes, and having to pay an additional $60-70 per month for care.
She joins a growing list of South Carolinian's living with the condition and needing to purchase insulin.
According to DHEC, one in ten adults in the state have diabetes, another one in ten have prediabetes.
"I already have so many doctors appointments already that medical bills are super high, and now we have to pay extra money," she said.
Shauna Hicks works for DHEC and says it plagues some of the state's poorest communities.
"Some people live in neighborhoods where they don't have access to healthy food, or they live in neighborhoods where there are just rows and rows and rows of fast food restaurants and that's their only choice."
According to Dr. Gayatri Kuraganti, an endocrinologist at Lexington Medical Center, it can be a costly diagnosis, one many can't afford. She adds there are alternatives out there to standard versions of insulin, but those can have dangerous side effects.
"People are unable to afford insulin and it's sad because, for Type 1 diabetics, they need insulin otherwise they can't survive for too long, " she said.
Dr. Kuraganti is celebrating, however, as good news around the corner for her and her patients.
Eli Lilly, one of the largest insulin producers in the country announced on Wednesday morning that it would be dropping the cost of insulin by 70%, and capping costs at $35 dollars per month.
The company says it will do this by cutting the list price of its non-branded insulin, to $25 a vial.
Heraly is also excited by the prospect, hoping this can be a continuing trend amongst all other medical expenses.
"I don't understand how people who have type one and type two diabetes and don't have good insurance, I don't understand how they can even afford it." She says, "it's just crazy how much they charge for it."