More than 37 million Americans suffer from diabetes every day. Another 27 million are uninsured. 

With insulin prices so high, what happens when someone falls into both categories?

As a long-time member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), IU sophomore John Lunne has become all too familiar with the answer to that question.

“I am diabetic, and I know that it’s hard enough alone without having to ration your insulin because you can’t afford it,” he said. “Doing that is debilitating, you are dropping your life expectancy and it’s terribly destructive.”

Lunne has been diabetic for 15 years, so he has spent the majority of his life advocating for awareness. He even helped pass a law in Ohio regarding insulin prices when his friend TJ could not afford any. However, this was just the start of revolutionary change.

On March 1,Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly drastically reduced the price of insulin by 70%- even capping out-of-pocket vile costs to a $35/month maximum. 

“While the current healthcare system provides access to insulin for most people with diabetes, it still does not provide affordable insulin for everyone,” said Lilly’s CEO David A. Ricks in a press release. “The aggressive price cuts we’re announcing today should make a real difference for Americans with diabetes.”

Many of the benefits included with this price drop roll out May 1, and Hoosiers could not be happier.

“It is amazing,” Lunne said with a smile on his face. “It’s one of the biggest things in my lifetime of being diabetic to happen, and it’s helping hundreds of people.”

Lunne does not use Eli Lilly medication, but the company who produces his medication followed in Lilly’s footsteps almost immediately after the announcement. 

“Novo Nordisk, which is a European brand of insulin that I use, opened up to the same $35 price tag,” Lunne said. “And to see this domino effect in the insulin production market is huge- this is legitimately saving so many lives.”

The price cuts will not only save lives, but it will also make many a lot easier, including the family members of diabetic people.

John’s parents, Elaine and Doug Lunne, described childhood diabetes as a “family disease”. 

“It was very scary and it actually took a big toll on both us as parents, but also his siblings,” Elaine said. “Because they had to be plugged into his lows and highs.”

John has two sisters. One is older and the other, Marie, is his twin. Because the genetic composition of twins are more similar than that of siblings, there was always a fear that Marie might also be predisposed to diabetes. 

“Twins are often more susceptible to type one if one twin already has it,” Doug said. “So I think it’s always been a huge fear in front of her [Marie’s] mind.”

Aside from worrying about their own health issues that could possibly arise, John’s family was mostly just concerned for him.

“I remember him sitting in the car seat in the back seat one day after he was diagnosed and thinking he was like a fragile egg that might break,” Elaine said.

Luckily, no one else in the Lunne family has been diagnosed with diabetes. However, both parents pointed out how the experience encouraged them all to see food in a new light. Unfortunately, this was not always a healthy view.

Doug pointed out that the combination of traumatic chronic illness paired with the fact the Lunne’s were already a “food focused family” gave everyone a heightened level of food vigilance. 

The result? 

“It took some of the joy out of meals,” said Doug, as Elaine nodded her head in agreement. 

This was nothing the Lunne family could not overcome. Today, John has not had a significant life-threatening health scare in years. He still attends Cincinnati Children’s Hospital routinely to check in. Eli Lilly and other pharmaceutical  companies who are implementing an insulin price cut are paving the way for affordable, life-saving medications.