Diabetes vs. Drug Prices: A System That Can Kill 

By Anissa Durham | Word In Black This is part one of “Life or Debt,”& Word In Black’s drug price series, exploring the ways Black folks living with chronic disease are forced to manage an expensive health care system.& Read the series.& (WIB) – $8,000 to $10,000 a year.   That’s about how much Jason Noldon spends out-of-pocket each year to manage his Type 1 diabetes. With regular technology updates to insulin pump equipment, batteries, syringes, alcohol pads, tape, a gym membership, and the monthly price of insulin, he estimates he probably pays even more.   But his story paints a broader picture of what it’s like to care for diabetes in the United States.& 34 million adults have diabetes, and about& 5% to 10%& of people living with diabetes have Type 1. Although Type 2 is more commonly diagnosed, the quality of care you get for either kind of diabetes depends on access to health care. Overall, Black adults are nearly& twice as likely& as white adults to develop Type 2 diabetes.& It’s been 13 years since Noldon& was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease that prevents his pancreas from producing insulin. Ever since, it’s been an uphill battle navigating the health...