Official Statement

ADA Statement on Sen. Joe Manchin’s Build Back Better Act Remarks

December 19, 2021 | Arlington, Virginia
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The American Diabetes Association® (ADA) today released the following statement in reaction to Senator Joe Manchin’s remarks regarding the Build Back Better Act:

“The American Diabetes Association implores Senator Manchin to reconsider his position on the Build Back Better Act, which would establish a $35 monthly cap on insulin co-pays. The current costs of insulin are crushing for people with diabetes; one in four Americans is forced to ration or skip this life-saving treatment because it is so unaffordable. Meanwhile, Senator Manchin's home state of West Virginia has the second-highest rate of diabetes in the country, and a disproportionate number of West Virginians with diabetes are over 65 or have household incomes of under $15,000 annually. We have a unique opportunity now to relieve some of this community's burden by reining in the exorbitant costs of insulin, but we can't do it without Senator Manchin's help. We urge him to support Build Back Better and provide urgent assistance for West Virginians with diabetes.” – Lisa Murdock, Chief Advocacy Officer for the American Diabetes Association.

The national co-pay cap, which ADA has aggressively promoted, would apply to Medicare beneficiaries, individuals on commercial insurance, and those covered by other group health plans.

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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 nearly 122 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).