A new report from Duke Health researchers found that only 6% of diabetes crowdfunders asked for help paying for insulin, many of them diabetic alert dogs. They are seeking funds for medical expenses and unexpected medical-related expenses.
about their research Annals of Internal Medicine, they analyzed a sample of active crowdfunding campaigns on US-based GoFundMe. About 1% of 89,645 campaigns randomly pulled This site was a fundraiser for diabetics. Analysis results are based on 350 randomly selected campaigns from that group.
According to lead author Caroline Sloan, M.D., MPH, a general internist at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, what motivates people to crowdfund diabetes treatments is a cost that is not often discussed in policy circles.
1 publication It is estimated that diabetics cited in the report spend about $4,800 annually in additional costs related to diabetes, even if they have insurance.
During the campaign, Sloan said people would get syringes, alcohol swabs, food, special shoes to protect their feet from infectious injuries, hotel rooms near hospitals, and even personal trainers to help control type 2 diabetes. I realized that I even needed the money to hire someone.
“I wanted to show the world that people are struggling to pay for all aspects of diabetes care,” she said. She drew inspiration for her research from her own experience as a clinician serving low-income, high-need people.
insulin price The cap was $35/month As part of the Inflation Control Act signed into law by the Biden administration in August 2022, a health insurance plan for Medicare patients was implemented. But only 6% of the campaigns extracted in the new report were seeking insulin funding.
“Maybe now is the time to start thinking about other cost reductions,” Sloan said.
Researchers found that a quarter of crowdfunding participants had insurance, but about half said their out-of-pocket costs were still too high. Most of the campaigns were not fully funded, and only about 14% reached their goal.Research so far indicated Those who raised money for insulin on GoFundMe failed similarly, with only 10% of campaigns receiving full funding.
The median fundraising goal was $10,000, and the median collected across the sample was $2,600.
Approximately one-fifth of the campaigns analyzed targeted diabetes alert dogs, service animals trained to alert owners during hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic episodes, primarily targeting people with type 1 diabetes. It was a request for funds. Sloan and others call the dog an “unproven cure.” however, suggestive evidence Dogs have been shown to detect hypoglycemic symptoms up to 83% of the time.
A trained dog costs between $8,000 and $15,000. According to the nonprofit beyond type 1. In the report, the authors say, “clinicians who learn of a patient’s intention to purchase a dog may direct the patient to proven management strategies such as continuous glucose monitoring.” ing.
The patient groups included in this analysis are not necessarily representative of economically deprived populations seeking help with diabetes treatment. The authors point out that some groups have age and internet access restrictions when accessing crowdfunding sites.
“This is a small group of patients, only people who have crowdfunded,” Sloan said. “The next step is to try and quantify the different types of costs found in the larger, more representative populations found in GoFundMe campaigns.”
writers No related financial relationships were reported.
Doctor Ann Intern. It will be published online on June 12, 2023.
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