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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart on Tuesday launched a private label diabetes care line that it said could save U.S. patients up to $60 million annually.
The ReliOn products promise an affordable, quality option to help the country’s nearly 26 million individuals with diabetes.
The ReliOn Prime meter is priced at $16.24, while ReliOn Prime blood sugar test strips go for $9 for 50, or 18 cents per test.
"Many people with diabetes struggle to manage their disease, due to its terrible financial burden," said John Agwunobi, president of Walmart U.S. Health and Wellness. "We’ve worked closely with our suppliers and found a way to significantly reduce the cost of diabetes products for all of our customers, whether they have insurance or not, so they can better manage their disease."
Other ReliOn items at reduced prices include gloves, lancets and syringes. Walmart also offers ReliOn insulin products at $24.88 per bottle.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that people who take insulin to treat their diabetes should test their blood glucose levels a minimum of three times a day to appropriately manage the disease. Many people on oral medications also test their blood glucose, which can result in expensive out-of-pocket costs. People with diabetes spend as much as $1,000 each year on blood glucose monitoring test strips alone, regardless of whether they have insurance. Switching to ReliOn Prime test strips can save each diabetes patient as much as $784 a year, according to Walmart.
The Walmart Foundation has donated more than $2 million to diabetes-focused organizations across the United States over the last fiscal year, including the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Today Advisory Council, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Southeastern Diabetes Education Services.
