I've said it plenty of times and I'll say it again...you can get a vial of insulin here in the USA for under $50. As mentioned, test strips can be had for very cheap as well.
Now, you're not going to get the best and most innovative medications and technology available but you will get something that works perfectly fine and has kept people alive for decades.
Nothing is free and the NHS exists as a result of much higher taxes compared to the USA.
Unfortunately, all the US has to do is set a price cap on how much pharmaceutical countries can charge in the USA versus other countries and it would further burden an already burdened system (NHS). The USA accounts for around 45% of the worlds pharmaceutical sales.
I'm not saying that we (US) has it figured out. In fact, quite the contrary. What I'm saying is that each system has its own flaws and there are a lot of misconceptions.
This is a very touchy subject because it's not a normal industry, and I realize we are talking about people's lives here. It's an unfortunate situation but again the fact of the matter is that nothing is "free."