According to the American Diabetes Association, the total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. for the year 2017 was a whopping $327 billion. Of that cost, $237 billion was direct medical costs, including visits to the doctor, hospital stays, and medication. The remainder ($90 billion) is attributed to lost productivity, which includes missed work days because employees needed medical care, or slower productivity because they weren't feeling well while they were at work.

A study conducted by the American Diabetes Association found that for every four dollars spent on healthcare, one of them (or 25%) is for the care of a person diagnosed with diabetes. Of that expense, it's estimated that half is a direct result of diabetes, and not a different ailment that a diabetic is seeking treatment for.

As if all of this weren't shocking (and frankly, horrifying) enough, the cost of diabetes isn't likely to decrease anytime soon. The same study found that "economic costs of diabetes increased by 26% from 2012 to 2017 due to the increased prevalence of diabetes and the increased cost per person with diabetes." Furthermore, researchers expressed concern that this burden would be felt heavily by senior citizens and the Medicare system. Senior citizens are more likely to be retired and living on a fixed income, which can make their situations more dire, more quickly.