西弗吉尼亚人前往加拿大寻找负担得起的胰岛素

西弗吉尼亚人前往加拿大寻找负担得起的胰岛素

A group of West Virginians left the country Sunday in search of affordable insulin — they went to Canada, where insulin prices are reported to be about a tenth of what it costs people in the United States.

一群西维吉尼亚人星期天离开美国，前往加拿大寻找便宜的胰岛素。据报导，加拿大的胰岛素价格只有美国的十分之一。

Across the border, no prescription is even necessary to purchase the life-saving medication, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports. State data says about 15% of West Virginians rely on insulin. The nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute says insulin cost a person with Type 1 diabetes about $6,000 in 2016, and prices have only increased since then, making it difficult for even insured people to afford it.

《查尔斯顿gazetter - mail》报道称，在美国境内，甚至不需要处方就可以购买这种救命药。州数据显示大约15%的西弗吉尼亚人依赖胰岛素。非营利机构卫生保健成本研究所(Health Care Cost Institute)表示，2016年，1型糖尿病患者使用胰岛素的成本约为6000美元，而自那以来，胰岛素价格只涨了一点点，就连有保险的人也很难负担得起。

“Insulin isn’t something you can go without, or skip when you can’t afford it,” said Tammy Owen, a volunteer with the West Virginia Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and whose son lives with Type 1 diabetes. “For someone with diabetes, it’s like air. Like water. It’s a basic need, and there are barriers in place that make it inaccessible for many.”

西维吉尼亚青少年糖尿病研究基金会(West Virginia youth Diabetes Research Foundation)的志愿者塔米·欧文(Tammy Owen)说，“你不能没有胰岛素，也不能在负担不起的时候跳过它。”欧文的儿子患有1型糖尿病。“对糖尿病患者来说，这就像空气一样。像水一样。这是一种基本的需求，但也存在一些障碍，让很多人无法达到。”

The trip from Morgantown was organized by state health care activists and supported by state Delegates Barbara Fleischauer (D-Monongalia) and Jordan Hill (R-Nicholas). Fleischauer said their caravan has held news conferences around the state, where they’ve heard about ever-increasing co-pays for insulin prescriptions.

来自摩根敦的行程是由州卫生保健活动家组织的，并得到了州代表芭芭拉·弗莱肖尔(D-Monongalia)和乔丹·希尔(r -尼古拉斯)的支持。弗莱肖尔说，他们的车队已经在全州各地举行了新闻发布会，他们在那里听说了越来越多的共同支付胰岛素处方的消息。

“It is really shocking how much some people, especially Type 1 diabetics, are having to pay for life-saving medicine. I do not use the word shocking often, but hearing these personal stories has really affected me,” Fleischauer said in an email.

“令人震惊的是，有些人，尤其是1型糖尿病患者，不得不为挽救生命的药物支付这么多钱。我不常使用“震惊”这个词，但听到这些个人故事真的影响了我，”弗莱肖尔在电子邮件中说。

She plans to introduce a bill next year to cap insulin prescription co-pays. Such legislation already has passed in Colorado. This isn’t the first such excursion to find affordable medication and showcase the failings of the US health care system. Each seat on this trip cost $100, though individuals with diabetes didn’t have to pay, thanks to donations and scholarships.

她计划在明年提出一项限制胰岛素处方自付的法案。科罗拉多州已经通过了这样的立法。这并不是第一次在寻找负担得起的药物和展示美国医疗系统的失败方面的旅行。由于捐款和奖学金，此行每个座位的费用是100美元，但糖尿病患者不必为此付费。