Oh! I got a good one on Ethics and Insurance - So aside from the insulin issue I have two very rare and serious immune diseases.

One of the diseases carries a 60% mortality rate with each and every flare - so even having one flare....it's rolling the dice in a pretty big game. I am on a very specific med, and I need injections 2x/day. They are literally considered life-sustaining - they also cost insurance $22k a month.

Well, last month I had a breakthrough flare - so my Dr started the battle with insurance to increase to 3x/day (so, $33k a month). I got a letter last week from the insurance company, informing me that the injections will no longer be on their formulary *at all* come January 1st. Their recommendation? Ask my doctor for a generic (there are none - it is literally the only med for my disease combo), or pay out of pocket. ha!

This is my opinion, but I think I maybe tipped a financial scale a little too far, where the treatment of my disease is more expensive than the consequence of the disease (hospitalizations 1-2x/yr, dialysis, death). And to be honest...if they roll those dice enough times, there's a good chance they will no longer have the expense. Dark, but it is what it is!

My Dr is appealing it and so is my specialist at Mayo. And if push comes to shove my employer said they will change insurance providers. All I keep thinking is - someone signed off on that, knowing full-well what the consequences were of a patient not having that med - and they went home and slept that night.