Many people across the country struggle to pay for insulin. Some states have even tried to ration their insulin because prices are so high.
Now states are changing laws to cap prices for a 30-day supply.
“Thirty-four million Americans have diabetes,” said Lisa Murdock, the vice president of state and government affairs and advocacy for the American Diabetes Association. “And a staggering number on top of that are pre-diabetes. And a lot of people struggle to even pay for their medication.”
Shamia Charity, who lives in Illinois, is one of those people.
“I do have major insurance through my company,” Charity said. “I have a 2,750 deductible, and I couldn’t really get my insulin until I met my deductible. When you don’t have insulin, you’re really trying hard to just keep it. You might take a dose, then take it down by a dose or two so you can have more for the next meal or the next day.”
This is something that Murdock said is far too common and dangerous.
“A person who foregoes their insulin and rations – and we know that’s happening – is at an increased risk to be sick and even die in a quick timeframe,” Murdock said. “One in four before the pandemic were rationing their insulin.”
That is why states across the country have been implementing laws to cap insulin price limits.
And here is the list of states that have passed insulin co-pay caps:
· Colorado
· Connecticut
· Delaware
· Illinois
· Maine
· New Hampshire
· New Mexico
· New York
· Utah
· Virginia
· Washington
· West Virginia
· Vermont
The most recent state, Illinois, started immediately this year capping a 30-day supply of insulin at $100.
“We managed to get twelve new states this year,” Murdock said. “Colorado was the first state, and we ended with 13 states in total that have caps in place.”
For Charity, she said this could change the way she lives.
“It will help me out tremendously,” Charity said. “I think it will save a lot of lives. I’m a single mother of four, so my children need me.”
However, Murdock said the association isn’t done and that it plans to get similar laws spread across the country in the near future.
“We are already working with legislators this year to file these bills in states across the country,” Murdock said. “It’s really early to talk about these states but we are actively working on that.”