Insulin keeps diabetics alive. What happens when they can't afford it?

Matt Peterson, vice president of medical information and professional engagement for the American Diabetes Association, said it’s not surprising that people are turning to what his nonprofit group calls the “gray market".  

“Given how expensive these things can be, particularly if you don’t have adequate insurance, how important they are to living healthy with diabetes, it’s not surprising that some people feel the need to do that. We think it’s unfortunate that anyone would even need to do that rather than be able to afford the treatment that they and their doctor think is appropriate,” Peterson told the Deseret News. 

There’s no legal restriction to buying insulin in Canada and bringing it into the U.S., Peterson said, adding that he knows a doctor in Seattle who encourages patients to cross the border to buy it.