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Americans Arrive in Canada to Get Cheaper Insulin

Reuters

   A self-declared "caravan" ofAmericans bused across the Canada-U.S.
   borderonSaturday,seeking affordable prices for insulin and raising
   awareness of"the insulin price crisis" in the United States.

   The group called Caravan to Canada started thejourneyfromMinneapolis,
   Minn.,on Fridayand stopped at London, Ontario, on Saturdayto purchase
   lifesaving type 1 diabetes medicationat a pharmacy.

   About20 people made the trip, according toNicole Smith-Holt, a member
   of the group. Smith-Holt said her26-year-old son died in June 2017
   because he was forced toration costly insulin.

   Caravan to Canada trekked across the border in May for the samereason,
   and Smith-Holt was on that trip, too.She said the previous group was
   smaller than this week's group.Americans have gone to countries like
   Mexico andCanada for more affordable medications in the past and
   continueto do so, she added.

   'Resurgence' in visitors

   The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported in May thatCanadian
   pharmacists have seen a "quiet resurgence" in Americanscoming to Canada
   looking for cheaper pharmaceuticals.

   Insulin prices in the United States nearly doubled to anaverage annual
   cost of $5,705 in 2016 from $2,864 in2012,according to a study in
   January.

   While not everyone purchased the same amount of insulin,Smith-Holt said
   most people were saving around $3,000 for threemonths' worth of
   insulin, andas a whole thegroup was saving around$15,000 to $20,000.

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