PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Millions of Americans, adults and young children, have diabetes.
Their bodies need insulin to survive.
The monthly cost of the life-saving drug adds up a lot.
"One in four insulin users have reported that they cannot afford their insulin. This has led to rationing. They are skipping doses of their insulin or not taking as much as they need in order to be able to pay for other basic life essentials," said Lisa Murdock of the American Diabetes Association.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Affordable Insulin Now Act.
It caps cost-sharing for a month's supply of insulin for insured patients to $35.
"The American Diabetes Association has endorsed this legislation as a way to provide economic relief and cap those out of pocket costs so that we are not looking at several hundreds, to thousands of dollars a month for a basic life, life-saving medication that's needed everyday," Murdock said.
The bill does not lower the overall price of insulin, it also won't help people without insurance.
Adriana Richard, a 19-year-old from Milton, has type 1 diabetes.
She's on her family's insurance plan right now, but the reality is, she won't be forever.
"I'm going to school for education. I was like, oh, how am I going to be able to afford my insulin when I'm already not getting paid a lot of money to do my job. It's definitely something I had to think about. I'm sure a lot of people my age think about it. Especially since we are going to get kicked off of our parents insurance at 26," she said.
Richard has written a book, started an organization, and continues to help others with diabetes.
In 2019, she went before Congress to advocate for affordable insulin and believes we are headed in the right direction.
"Obviously, it's just a start because not everyone has insurance, and not everyone has even that much money to pay for that medicine. I think it's a good start, but we definitely still have work to do," she added.
The Senate needs to approve the Affordable Insulin Now Act before it lands on the President's desk.
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