Woman breaks down after paying $675 for insulin, says she can't afford the medication: 'I need to live'

Health insurance is meant to support people who are incapable of paying hefty medical bills, yet many people on social media often complain about it being "purposeless." Amid the discussion around the need for affordable medication, a woman who suffers from Type 1 diabetes recently went viral for crying outside a pharmacy. Allie Goecke-Butler–who goes by @loveal_co on TikTok–shared how she was charged $675 for her insulin prescription, which she feared she could no longer afford to fulfill in the future.

“I just went to the pharmacy to pick up my pump, and they rang it up, and it was $675 for a three-month supply,” said Goecke while sitting in her car. Also, she added a screenshot of the bill to make people believe it happened to her. The 27-year-old, with tears falling from her eyes, claimed this happened after she and her husband changed their health insurance plan. A day before the incident, she had already spent $300 on her Dexcom treatment, a tubeless and wearable insulin pump system that delivers insulin automatically.

Goecke later called the insurance service "Kaiser Member Services" to state that she couldn't afford to spend the huge amount on her prescription. "They told me that I'm responsible for the $700 because of the prescription deductible that you're supposed to meet. I've been spending on prescriptions, but since they're either generic or medical devices, none count toward the deductible," she added. Notably, the couple's previous policy came under "Covered California," which allowed eligible individuals to pay for private health insurance at a federally subsidized rate.

"I couldn't pick up my insulin a couple of months ago because it was over $200 with insurance. And this is after my husband and I pay out of pocket for insurance. We spent $700 a month on this insurance," Goecke informed her viewers. She remained pessimistic about her future, knowing the financial burden of living with diabetes. "I don't know how I'm supposed to afford to live the rest of my life like this," the heartbroken woman said.

She went on to appeal to higher-ups at Kaiser Member Services after feeling helpless about the whole situation. "I'm a real person that you're profiting off of, and this is like a monthly occurrence of me crying in my car because I can't afford the medication I need to live," Goecke lashed out at the service, racking up massive support and drawing nearly a million views on her video message. She concluded with a caveat that the couple didn't qualify for assistance programs because they were considered to be earning enough to be part of the middle class.

“But middle-class people don't have thousands of extra dollars to spend month after month on healthcare,” Goecke asserted, sparking reactions on social media. “Sometimes I feel like health insurance is really purposeless. They deny everything, and deductibles are astronomically high, and nothing counts towards it,” @ericadougsheets said. @authorvbowman added, “This is why we need better and more affordable healthcare.” @thatgirl_jensen shared, “No one should have to worry about paying for medication that keeps them alive. I am so sorry this is happening.”

You can follow Allie Goecke-Butler (@loveal_co) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.