Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would cap the monthly out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 for Americans with commercial insurance, group health plans and Medicare. The American Diabetes Association® (ADA) has been the leading advocate for state and national insulin co-pay caps, resulting in the enactment of out-of-pocket limits for insulin in 20 states and the District of Columbia. We've seen exactly how much Americans with diabetes who rely on insulin stand to benefit from reducing the cost to patients of this live-saving drug.
This co-pay cap is especially important right now, given the outsized impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diabetes community. One in four Americans with diabetes reported rationing their insulin to pay for other life essentials like rent, utilities, daycare, and food. While the pandemic has made this situation worse, insulin rationing is a crisis that has been decades in the making. The price of insulin nearly tripled between 2002 and 2013, and the trend upward has made affording this life-saving medication even more challenging for millions of Americans living with diabetes.
It’s time to pass a national co-pay cap to bring economic relief to millions of Americans forced to stretch beyond their means every month to pay for their insulin. The ADA encourages the U.S. Senate to follow suit and approve legislation that includes the $35 national insulin co-pay cap.
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,About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 81 years the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the over 133 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).
