Bill to lower insulin prices unanimously passed in the House

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A bill aimed at lowering the cost of insulin has unanimously passed in the Kentucky House.

House Bill 12 states that one in every eight Kentuckians have been diagnosed with diabetes, many of whom rely on insulin to survive.

According the bill, insulin prices rose by 45% between 2014 and 2017. And, over the last 14 years, the price of insulin has increased by 550% but the price to produce a vial of insulin costs $6.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the high price of insulin can lead some patients to begin rationing their diabetes medication or not fully adhering to the dosage prescribed by their doctors.

The bill would cap the price of a 30-day supply of insulin at $100.

If diabetes patients take their medication properly, overall health care costs decrease, according to the bill.

The bill states: it is important to enact policies to reduce the cost for Kentuckians with diabetes to obtain life-saving and life-sustaining insulin.

One local pharmacist says he’s seen the struggle people face when trying to pay for insulin.

“The month of January has been a very difficult month, especially for a lot of our seniors with Medicare part D plans. There has been a $435 deductible, not all plans but majority. So, if you are a diabetic and your first prescription for the year is your insulin, you are hit with that $435 deductible,” said Daniel Emery, a pharmacist at Sheldon’s Pharmacy in Bowling Green.

The bill will now head to the state Senate. If it passes, it will go to the governor’s desk.