I Ran Out of Insulin Because I Couldn’t Afford to Stay Healthy

I woke up on my living room floor with a pounding headache, my back aching from the fall. I didn't know how long I'd been out. When I checked my blood sugar — something five years of living with diabetes has trained me to do first — the number staring back was 529. It should have been under 100.

I searched for insulin I knew wasn't there. I'd already run out, expired bottles thrown away weeks earlier. Between rent, groceries, and my prescriptions, something had to give, and it was the medication keeping me alive.

I don't have insurance. Going to the ER wasn't even on my mind — I couldn't afford it. But my body made the decision for me. I was taken to the hospital against my will, and that decision saved my life. It also cost more than I could ever repay.

On July 30, Medicare and Medicaid turn 61. For six decades, these programs have meant the difference between life and death for millions of Americans — people like me, who work hard but still can't afford basic, life-saving care without help. My story isn't rare. It's what happens every day to people who fall through the cracks of our healthcare system.

We should be strengthening these programs, not cutting them. No one should have to ration insulin and hope they wake up.
— Tor Neal, Carbondale Illinois