Hi everyone,

My new insulin pump (and its accessories) arrived last night. Very excited about it. :) Looked it up and the insulin pump is USD$14,000...

-- Sean



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Hello Sean!

19 Dec 25 09:27, you wrote to all:

My new insulin pump (and its accessories) arrived last night. Very excited about it. :) Looked it up and the insulin pump is
USD$14,000...

Sweet Jes*s, that an amazingly lot of money to pay out. I never understand the US medical system where you have to oay for insulin but here it is free to all, poor and rich

TheCivvie


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TheCivvie wrote to Sean Dennis <=-

Sweet Jes*s, that an amazingly lot of money to pay out. I never
understand the US medical system where you have to oay for insulin but here it is free to all, poor and rich

Things are changing here in the US but my insulin I take is patented so the cost is very high. Two pens of my U/500 cost around USD$1600 and that is
with insurance. Now I pay $16 a box for two pens through the VA.

However, things are getting cheaper here but still too much. God help the diabetic in the US that doesn't have insurance.

-- Sean

... Love is a long term investment, not a quick return loan!
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Hello digimaus!

** On Saturday 20.12.25 - 17:31, digimaus wrote to TheCivvie:

Things are changing here in the US but my insulin I take is patented so
the cost is very high. Two pens of my U/500 cost around USD$1600 and that is with insurance. Now I pay $16 a box for two pens through the VA.

However, things are getting cheaper here but still too much. God help the diabetic in the US that doesn't have insurance.

How's your president's promise of 400%, 800%, 1000% etc..
discounts going with prescription drugs? :D

--
../|ug

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Hello TheCivvie!

** On Friday 19.12.25 - 15:26, TheCivvie wrote to Sean Dennis:

My new insulin pump (and its accessories) arrived last night. Very
excited about it. :) Looked it up and the insulin pump is
USD$14,000...

Sweet Jes*s, that an amazingly lot of money to pay out. I never understand the US medical system where you have to oay for insulin but here it is
free to all, poor and rich

Your country is *much* smaller in terms of population?

--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.64
* Origin: (618:400/23.10)

August Abolins wrote to digimaus:

How's your president's promise of 400%, 800%, 1000% etc..
discounts going with prescription drugs? :D

I wouldn't know as I pay $8 for a prescription through the VA and $0 through
my Medicare Advantage.

I do know the price of insulin is going down.

-- digi



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* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (618:618/1)

Hello digimaus!

20 Dec 25 17:31, you wrote to me:

Sweet Jes*s, that an amazingly lot of money to pay out. I never
understand the US medical system where you have to oay for
insulin but here it is free to all, poor and rich

Things are changing here in the US but my insulin I take is patented
so the cost is very high. Two pens of my U/500 cost around USD$1600
and that is with insurance. Now I pay $16 a box for two pens through
the VA.

However, things are getting cheaper here but still too much. God help
the diabetic in the US that doesn't have insurance.

I think insulin cannot be patented as the original developer left it patent free. But if a compnay is patenting it, then that is wrong as it is essential to life

TheCivvie


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Hello August!

21 Dec 25 12:47, you wrote to me:

My new insulin pump (and its accessories) arrived last night.
Very excited about it. :) Looked it up and the insulin pump is
USD$14,000...

Sweet Jes*s, that an amazingly lot of money to pay out. I never
understand the US medical system where you have to oay for insulin
but here it is free to all, poor and rich

Your country is *much* smaller in terms of population?

Very much so but also a tighter healthcare budget, but also the UK and a lot of Europe has it free

TheCivvie


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TheCivvie wrote to digimaus:

I think insulin cannot be patented as the original developer left it
patent free. But if a compnay is patenting it, then that is wrong as it is essential to life

Insulin is a natural hormone produced by the body. Various types of insulin can be and are patented. The type I take is an artificial concentrated
insulin that is patented and is the most expensive insulin in the world (it
is not commonly used).

"Eli Lilly makes U-500 insulin, specifically under the brand name Humulin R U-500, which is a highly concentrated form (5 times stronger than regular
U-100 insulin) used for patients needing very large doses, often available
in vials or special KwikPens for easier delivery and reduced injection
volume."

-- Sean



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* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (618:618/1)

Hello Sean!

21 Dec 25 23:25, you wrote to me:

I think insulin cannot be patented as the original developer left
it patent free. But if a compnay is patenting it, then that is
wrong as it is essential to life

Insulin is a natural hormone produced by the body. Various types of insulin can be and are patented. The type I take is an artificial concentrated insulin that is patented and is the most expensive
insulin in the world (it is not commonly used).

"Eli Lilly makes U-500 insulin, specifically under the brand name
Humulin R U-500, which is a highly concentrated form (5 times stronger than regular U-100 insulin) used for patients needing very large
doses, often available in vials or special KwikPens for easier
delivery and reduced injection volume."

I still think the price is far too excessive and is only to make a high levels of profits.

TheCivvie


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Re: Good news
By: TheCivvie to digimaus on Sun Dec 21 2025 10:39 pm

I think insulin cannot be patented as the original developer left it patent free. But if a compnay is patenting it, then that is wrong as it is essential to life

The US patent system is a bit bonkers.

I have not looked into the fact, but if I had to speculate, I would say the procedure for producing or collecting insulin is the patented thing they are leveraging.


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Re: Good news
By: TheCivvie to August Abolins on Sun Dec 21 2025 10:41 pm

Very much so but also a tighter healthcare budget, but also the UK and a lot of Europe has it free↑

I have heard a lot of complaints regarding UK healthcare but I'd rather talk about what I know.

Spain has Paradise-Grade Socialized Healthcare. Meaning you may show up to an appointment for chemmo therapy only to be told to come next week because they have no supplies. Or, my favourite, you get diagnosed with lung cancer and they take four months to perform an extension study, and by the time they do it you are told you have metas everywhere and you are gonna die in a year because you took too long to treat it.

These are not examples I am pulling out of my ass, I work as tech support for a clinic and I see this stuff constantly.

Compare that to holding an insurance card and getting a tumor extracted the same day it is discovered.

Socialized healthcare is good for one thing: to keep poor serfs calm because they believe they are covered.




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Arelor wrote to TheCivvie <=-

I have not looked into the fact, but if I had to speculate, I would say the procedure for producing or collecting insulin is the patented thing they are leveraging.

It's also the particular formula. The insulin is a very concentrated form which is five times stronger than standard insulin.

-- Sean

... Confucius say: "It's stuffy inside fortune cookie."
--- MultiMail/Linux
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (618:618/1)

Arelor wrote to TheCivvie <=-

Socialized healthcare is good for one thing: to keep poor serfs calm because they believe they are covered.

My sister has a friend who lives in Scotland who lost his mother to cancer because she has to wait so long to be seen for it.

Even for me, I often have to wait three to four months to be seen for a doctor's appointment using my veteran's benefits. The VA is trying to get better about it but it's still pretty bad. However, I have learned to be squeaky wheel and know how to work the system meaning if I bitch loud enough,
I will get seen much sooner.

-- Sean

... Nothing is free. Even age. Age is the fee God charges for life.
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Hello Arelor!

08 Jan 26 11:55, you wrote to TheCivvie:

Re: Good news
By: TheCivvie to August Abolins on Sun Dec 21 2025 10:41 pm

Very much so but also a tighter healthcare budget, but also the UK
and a lot of Europe has it free

I have heard a lot of complaints regarding UK healthcare but I'd
rather talk about what I know.

Spain has Paradise-Grade Socialized Healthcare. Meaning you may show
up to an appointment for chemmo therapy only to be told to come next
week because they have no supplies. Or, my favourite, you get
diagnosed with lung cancer and they take four months to perform an extension study, and by the time they do it you are told you have
metas everywhere and you are gonna die in a year because you took too
long to treat it.

These are not examples I am pulling out of my ass, I work as tech
support for a clinic and I see this stuff constantly.

Compare that to holding an insurance card and getting a tumor
extracted the same day it is discovered.

Socialized healthcare is good for one thing: to keep poor serfs calm because they believe they are covered.

And then they charge us a fortune in social security. For some things
it's fine, but for others...

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Hello Arelor!

08 Jan 26 11:48, you wrote to me:

I think insulin cannot be patented as the original developer left
it patent free. But if a compnay is patenting it, then that is
wrong as it is essential to life

The US patent system is a bit bonkers.

I have not looked into the fact, but if I had to speculate, I would
say the procedure for producing or collecting insulin is the patented thing they are leveraging.

Yeah, I never understood the US medical system anyway. But i any company can make money, then they will

TheCivvie


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Hello Arelor!

08 Jan 26 11:55, you wrote to me:

Very much so but also a tighter healthcare budget, but also the UK
and a lot of Europe has it free

I have heard a lot of complaints regarding UK healthcare but I'd
rather talk about what I know.

You only ever hear complaints because those who have good things to say, never say them

Spain has Paradise-Grade Socialized Healthcare. Meaning you may show
up to an appointment for chemmo therapy only to be told to come next
week because they have no supplies. Or, my favourite, you get
diagnosed with lung cancer and they take four months to perform an extension study, and by the time they do it you are told you have
metas everywhere and you are gonna die in a year because you took too
long to treat it.

These are not examples I am pulling out of my ass, I work as tech
support for a clinic and I see this stuff constantly.

Compare that to holding an insurance card and getting a tumor
extracted the same day it is discovered.

Socialized healthcare is good for one thing: to keep poor serfs calm because they believe they are covered.

We have social healtcare here and no, it is not too keep poor serfs calm. It keeps rich and poor happy. If you have a serious health condition you can get seen very quickly. Yes there are issues, sometimes the system is over worked and a lot of times it is, but everyone is treated the same.

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(618:250/24)

TheCivvie


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Socialized healthcare is good for one thing: to keep poor serfs calm because they believe they are covered.

My sister has a friend who lives in Scotland who lost his mother to cancer

>because she has to wait so long to be seen for it.

Even for me, I often have to wait three to four months to be seen for a

>doctor's appointment using my veteran's benefits. The VA is trying to get
>better about it but it's still pretty bad. However, I have learned to be
>squeaky wheel and know how to work the system meaning if I bitch loud enough,
>I will get seen much sooner.

I am not going to say that Gov't healthcare is perfect, and as costs
go up due to an aging population it's getting worse - not helped at
all by those who refuse vaccines so that currently many hospitals
are housing more than double the number of patients they are built
to accomodate simply due to the Flu..

But.. In Canada it is generally not too bad. 3 people in my immediate
family got various cancers and were treated quickly and recovered and
other relatives with ongoing problems get what they need in a timely
fashion and most prescription drugs are also covered for seniors and
lower income people.

I might have to wait a week to see my doctor so I could end up having
to go to the Hospital Emergency Room if I need to see someone quickly.

Emergency waiting times are getting worse all the time but there's
a finite amount that we can spend on healthcare. Currently it
costs about $5,500 nationally per person each year.

Working people pay a 'premium' for coverage but it's pretty low,
starting at about $5 a month for those making $20,000 a year
and topping out at $75 a month for those making over $200,600.00.

As I said, not perfect but an ER visit for someone not covered
by that will pay easily $400+ for a simple in and out visit.

I believe those figures are current but I haven't had to pay
anything most of my life since I was lower income or retired
and things have changed a bit over the years.

---
* SLMR Rob * Why is "Abbreviation" such a long word ???
* Origin: Capitol City Online (618:250/1)

Rob Mccart wrote to DIGIMAUS <=-

I am not going to say that Gov't healthcare is perfect, and as costs
go up due to an aging population it's getting worse - not helped at
all by those who refuse vaccines so that currently many hospitals
are housing more than double the number of patients they are built
to accomodate simply due to the Flu..

I can't take the flu shot as my systenm can't handle it very well but I am not exposed to the direct public a lot except at the VA hospital (how I caugfht COVID the first time in 2020).

But.. In Canada it is generally not too bad. 3 people in my immediate family got various cancers and were treated quickly and recovered and other relatives with ongoing problems get what they need in a timely fashion and most prescription drugs are also covered for seniors and
lower income people.

Like our Medicaid and Medicare here in the States. I have medicare as that is required by law since I get Social Security disability pay. I still have to pay $184 a month except due to my severity of disabiities, Social Security has the state of Tennessee paying my bill (it's really complicated).

Emergency waiting times are getting worse all the time but there's
a finite amount that we can spend on healthcare. Currently it
costs about $5,500 nationally per person each year.

It is a federal law in the US that no one can be refused care at an enmergency room but guess who picks up the tab?

As I said, not perfect but an ER visit for someone not covered
by that will pay easily $400+ for a simple in and out visit.

When my stepdad was hit by a drunk driver in 2003, he ran up a $1,500,000 bill and his health insurance provided tried to come after him for the cost yet a month later, the entire amount was forgiven and we still don't know how that happened.

-- Sean

... "La Quinta": Spanish for "Next to Denny's."
--- MultiMail/Linux
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Hello Sean!

** On Saturday 10.01.26 - 22:07, Sean Dennis wrote to Rob Mccart:

When my stepdad was hit by a drunk driver in 2003, he ran
up a $1,500,000 bill and his health insurance provided
tried to come after him for the cost yet a month later,
the entire amount was forgiven and we still don't know how
that happened.

[1] Hospital bill are probably overly inflated.
[2] Insurance companies are rich.

They most likely worked out something like a 10cents on the
dollar kind of settlement.

--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.64
* Origin: (618:400/23.10)

I am not going to say that Gov't healthcare is perfect, and as costs
go up due to an aging population it's getting worse - not helped at
all by those who refuse vaccines so that currently many hospitals
are housing more than double the number of patients they are built
to accomodate simply due to the Flu..

I can't take the flu shot as my systenm can't handle it very well but I am no

>exposed to the direct public a lot except at the VA hospital (how I caugfht
>COVID the first time in 2020).

I am pretty much alone where I am all winter long, and most of the
rest of the year too, although I get relatives in for a few days at
a time several times through the summer. But my contact with the
public is very limited as well. I only see other people one day
every 2 weeks when I do my shopping and plan any other appointments.

It is a federal law in the US that no one can be refused care at

>an enmergency room but guess who picks up the tab?

Well, common or not, we do keep hearing about people in the USA
who show up in the wrong hospital (non-state/public) and are
'treated', and then sent off.. and die in the parking lot.

When my stepdad was hit by a drunk driver in 2003, he ran up a $1,500,000 bil

>and his health insurance provided tried to come after him for the cost yet a
>month later, the entire amount was forgiven and we still don't know how that
>happened.

Wow.. I suppose they must have found out they didn't have a case
to go after him after all. I've heard that many insurance companies
have a standard policy to refuse all claims when they come in, often
up to the first 3 times, and then finally pay them if the customer
persists, even if they were definitely entitled to coverage right
from the start.. Apparently enough people walk away from it that
they come out way ahead doing this.

Likely gov't insurance is a little more reliable since they have
no share holders to keep happy, just tax payers, who are never
happy.. B)

---
* SLMR Rob * Look out for #1... And don't step in #2
* Origin: Capitol City Online (618:250/1)