LEESBURG, Va. — The family of a 27-year-old man is hoping to raise awareness after they said he died while using a cheaper version of insulin.
According to the Washington Post, Josh Wilkerson switched to an over-the-counter medicine when he was dropped from stepdad’s health insurance plan on his 26th birthday.
“It’s very hard. How many more young Type 1 diabetes patients have to die before something finally changes?” said his fiancee, Rose Walters.
She said the prescription brand would’ve cost him about $1,200, which he couldn’t afford with his job.
Wilkerson’s mother, Erin Weaver, said she worried about him changing his medication.
She is now on a mission to advocate for others with Type 1 diabetes. She said people shouldn’t be forced to ration their insulin or find a cheaper version.
“It’s pretty much a death sentence. They have no health insurance or good jobs to afford what they need, so they’re left with the pittance that is left,” Weaver told the paper.
