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Nicole Smith-Holt of Minnesota, who lost her son, Alec, to insulin rationing, gives an interview to a reporter before participating in a demonstration with Type 1 Diabetes advocacy group, T1International, outside the Eli Lilly headquarters in Indianapolis, IN on October 24, 2022. Alec Smith was diagnosed at 23 with Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disorder which attacks the insulin producing cells in the pancreas and makes a person fully dependent on an outside source of insulin. Alec was 26 years old and gainfully employed when he found himself aged out of his parent’s health insurance coverage and ineligible for both state health care assistance and the patient assistant programs offered by the insulin manufacturers. At the time of his death, the out-of-pocket cost for Alec’s insulin would have been $1300 per month. So until he could afford more, Alec decided to ration what insulin he had left. In June of 2017, Smith-Holt learned that Alec had died of DKA, diabetic ketoacidosis, caused by a lack of insulin. Since his death, Smith-Holt has been working passionately with non-profit organizations and lawmakers to help make affordable insulin a reality. In 2019 the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act which provides an emergency 30 day supply of insulin to those in need for no more than $35 as well as a more long term program for those who qualify. Since then, Maine and Colorado have passed similar legislation. © Photo by Erin Lubin

2022 Actions, Workshops, and Campaigns

2022 Action: Digital Demonstration
2022 Campaign: Tea1International
2022 Workshop Sessions (opens in a new tab)
Fight for Five

Livestream Recording Here! (opens in a new tab)

Health is Wealth Digital Demonstration

Join T1International in this year’s “Health is Wealth!” Digital Demonstration to celebrate our community of patients and allies. Despite hearing powerful, heart-breaking, and enraging stories from patients and people impacted by diabetes year after year, Eli Lilly has not met our demand to lower the list price of insulin. We want to show Big Pharma and each other that our community will not stand down in the fight for lower insulin prices. We are powerful, resilient, and joyful, even in the face of corporate greed. 

From September 24 through October 24, 2022, let’s show the world the joy we find in our collective fight for #insulin4all, culminating in a direct action (opens in a new tab) at Eli Lilly’s International Headquarters in Indianapolis on October 24.

Take Action Now!

  1. Upload an image so social media that shows how you find joy in our collective fight for affordable, accessible insulin and supplies for all. It can be a picture of you advocating, or a picture of you doing a favourite activity or hobby. Look below for template language and examples from the T1I team. Feel free to get creative! Make sure that you are tagging your post with @t1international and #insulin4all, as well as pointing to our petition (opens in a new tab) and asking others to take this action, too!
  2. Sign our petition to Eli Lilly demanding that they lower the list price of insulin. Once you’ve signed the petition, share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to make sure that everyone who believes in #insulin4all has the opportunity to sign-on. The petition will be delivered to Eli Lilly at our October 24 Direct Action!

Sample Posts

Other Ways to Take Action:

The pharmaceutical industry claims that the health of people is their top priority while they continue to bring in billions in profit, showing their true priority. Big Pharma has continued to raise the price of insulin at the expense of countless people’s health. For too many, health is unattainable because of broken systems driven by greed.

Tea1International

March of 2022 brings a new campaign, Tea1International, to come together with our supporters to spill the tea about Big Pharma’s greed and the rising cost of insulin around the world. Tea is a treat whereas insulin is essential, yet our 2020 out-of-pocket cost survey found one of every four respondents reported having to ration their insulin at least once within the last year due to high costs. One box of tea costs about $13, while a single vial of insulin carries a list price of $300.

We need need your help to #SpillTheTea on this issue in March and all year long. Tea1International is an opportunity for people living with type 1 diabetes and their allies across the globe to speak out against the absurdly high, and rising, cost of insulin. Throughout the month of March you can #SpillTheTea by taking part in our Advocacy Blend and Fundraising Blend as a part of Tea1International!

Advocacy Blend: Follow the steps below to join us in spilling the tea on the global insulin price crisis!

  1. Take a picture of your favorite box of tea.
  2. Post your photo on social media, comparing the cost of tea where you live to the cost of a vial of insulin.
    Sample text: Tea is a treat, but insulin is essential. In the USA, a box of tea costs $13, and a vial of insulin has a list price of $300. #SpillTheTea #Tea1International
  3. Remember to use the hashtags #Tea1International, #SpillTheTea, #insulin4all and to tag @t1international.

As a part of the campaign, we are aiming to raise $10,000 to further this critical work in step with our Chapters and Global Advocacy Network.

Fundraising Blend: Choose one of the following to show your support this March!

  • Invite your friends and family to a fundraising Tea Party (virtual or in-person) asking everyone to donate what they might spend on the costs of favourite tea box to T1International.
  • Buy some Banting & Best Blend tea from Harney & Sons (opens in a new tab), our partner for this campaign, who is passing proceeds to our cause!

We’re planning to keep this conversation brewing all month long, so follow us on Facebook (opens in a new tab), Twitter (opens in a new tab), and Instagram (opens in a new tab) for more inspiration on how to join the conversation. We would be incredibly grateful for any donation you are able to make. All gifts have a big impact. Click here to give now!

Thanks to our wonderful campaign partner Harney & Sons (opens in a new tab).

#SpillTheTea
#Tea1International
#insulin4all

from 2022-2025, T1International ran the Fight for Five Campaign with the Fight for Five Working Group

The Price of Insulin and Glucose Testing Supplies Costs Patients Their Lives

Across the globe, patients are spending an unsustainable amount for the medicine and supplies they need to simply stay alive. In many parts of the world, people are forced to pay as much as 40% (or more) of their total income on the bare minimum to manage their diabetes.

Join T1International and the #insulin4all network as we raise our voices and Fight For Five. Our network is advocating globally for a world where the cost of insulin and glucose testing supplies represents no more than 5% of a person’s income in any given country. We are initially focused on Panama, Pakistan, India and Zimbabwe.

Some of the specific ways T1International and our advocates across the globe are advocating include:

Join the 43 organizations that have signed on to support our Fight for Five Campaign. 

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