Hey,
I have been type 1 for over 10 years and have been offered a secondment by my work to live and work in California for 12-18 months. As I currently live in London and will be continuing my healthcare here whilst I am away (12-18 months = 1 annual review meeting with my healthcare team), I am reviewing my options for getting my insulin. I am currently on Levimir and NovoRapid (Insulin aspart).
What I am interested in is if anyone has any insight into the options that I have available. My view is that I have the following options:
1) Get my insulin by registering with a US based healthcare profesional and paying for it via the health insurance cover I will be given by my work - not sure how the surcharges and in-out of care really works with diabetes so if anyone can help explain it to me I would be grateful!
2) Get my free prescriptions from the UK and arrange for someone in the UK to have them shipped into the US - is this legal? Can UPS or FedEx ship it without subjecting it to temps that will damange the insulin? Does anyone know if this is possible?
3) Get my free prescriptions from the UK and fly someone out with them (friends will be coming to visit). Can they carry this on board a flight even though it is not for there use given current restrictions???
4) Get my free prescriptions from the UK and fly back ever 3-4 months to pick them up. Safe option but very expensive given cost of travel.
I have a friend who has diabetes and he was in the US for 12 months and done this through option 4, although his work funded his flights. Mine won't.
I would be grateful for other people who have diabetes's thoughts or experiences in this??
Thanks in advance!