The House

VAISHNAVI PEYYETY

RED & BLACK CONTRIBUTOR

Around 37.3 million individuals in the United States struggle with diabetes mellitus, a condition that takes extensive care and expensive medication to treat. Therefore, a bipartisan effort in the Senate to enact legislation to help people afford insulin is looking promising. In comparison to other countries, Americans pay ten times more for insulin, which is why legislation in the past was aimed towards rolling insulin costs back.

Following a vote by the House that limits out-of pocket insulin costs with insurance to $35 a month, senators are working towards finding a compromise that will further reduce insulin prices. This bill aims to bring down prices that pharmaceutical companies charge which will make it easier for diabetes patients to afford medication. According to a poll, greater than half of the public sees this idea as a “top priority” for Congress1 .

Nevertheless, tensions are high between the Democratic and Republican parties, so a bill sponsored by our Democratic president may not get enough Republican votes in the Senate. However, this new bill is centered around the concept of a cap on outof-pocket costs which should draw more votes. Opponents of this legislation believe that the “burden of paying for the insulin [shifts] off of the shoulders of insured insulin users, and shifts it on to the rest of all of us who are paying insurance premiums”1 .

They also believe the uninsured would not benefit from this bill as it aims at easing the tension of Medicare and insured patients. Thus far, this bill has received only 50 votes and 60 votes are necessary to pass legislation. Many Republican representatives are wary that this is a Democratic stunt and are thus hesitant to vote for it. Either way, this legislation could impact many lives and can allow people from low income backgrounds greater access to necessary and life-saving medication.

Footnotes: 1McAuliff, Michael. “Insulin Copay Cap Passes House Hurdle, but Senate Looks for a Broader Bill.” Kaiser Health News, 4 Apr. 2022, khn.org/news/ article/insulin-copay-cap-passeshouse-hurdle-but-senate-looks-for-a-

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Diabetes meelitus is a condition that affects 37.3 million inividuals in the US - Bipartisan efforts in the United States Senate are currently being made to lower insulin prices in the US.