[andrewlgood]

Simpler question is why you have to go through your health care insurer to buy the diabetes supplies. One of the distortions of having healthcare insurance paid for by companies is it makes it tax deductible. Thus $100 spent on healthcare by the company only costs them $60. If you paid the expense directly, it would cost you $100.

Imagine if auto insurance were eligible to be provided by your company as a tax deductible expense. We would all be buying our gasoline through our car insurance company.