The costs and other economic factors of diabetes care are often a concern for people who have diabetes. A diagnosis of diabetes is not something that people ordinarily plan for when writing their “to do” list or their monthly budget. Once you know that you have diabetes, the economics of it is something that you need to think about and plan for every month.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are more than 34 million people who have diabetes. The CDC explains that diabetes is the most expensive chronic medical condition in the U.S. The agency says that $1.00 of every $4.00 in U.S. health care costs goes to caring for people with diabetes.

Consider your own costs, and you are likely to discover that the costs can be expensive, even if you have insurance. A GoodRX article revealed that an analysis performed by the company determined that a person who has diabetes and who has insurance, can spend as much as $4,800 annually on diabetes-related costs. Those costs vary, of course, according to the individual person, their specific circumstances, and if the person complies with their diabetes treatment plan.

It is possible to control some costs of your diabetes care. Work with your healthcare team and do your part to help control your diabetes. Controlling diabetes helps to reduce the likelihood of developing complications that can lead to higher costs, such as emergency room or in-patient hospital care. Taking your insulin and other medications helps to control your diabetes and other medical conditions. When you are healthier, you can celebrate lower diabetes care costs.