It’s past time to get behind less-expensive insulin for Central Valley families | Opinion
Last August, Congress took the bold move to protect insulin-dependent diabetics covered by Medicare by capping the monthly cost at $35. This has inflamed a cultural war between seniors and working families who have diabetes but receive no government-driven financial assistance. I expect this will result in many state legislatures seeking to pass similar legislation to aid every person with diabetes that Congress ignored.
We are long overdue as a nation to recognize that every person with diabetes should be treated equally, ending the era of the Medicare Me First Generation vs. Working Americans.
One in nine Americans has diabetes. In California, one in 12 residents under 65 has type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes is the most expensive chronic condition in the United States. Additionally, in 2012, medical experts believed improved adherence to diabetes medication could avert 699,000 emergency department visits and 341,000 hospitalizations annually, saving $4.7 billion. Imagine the savings that could have occurred over the past 11 years for health systems and people living with diabetes.
Despite these well-known facts, Congress limited financial relief solely to Medicare recipients.
California can again show Congress how to lead with a two-part diabetes solution through legislation:
First, require every insurer selling any health insurance plan in California to cap the copay of insulin at $35 a month.
Second, for those with related co-morbidities resulting from their diabetes, the total copay of these medications must also be $35 a month.
These two simple decisions would mean any person with diabetes in California could afford their insulin and diabetic-related medications.
Just last week, California State Sen. Scott Weiner introduced legislation to cap insulin copays. His invaluable leadership may bring Californians a natural solution for a real problem.
For insulin-dependent diabetics, the drug is essential for survival. The stories of people with diabetes forced to skip or ration medications are many. And the number of people with diabetes who spend more than 40 percent of their income on needed medications underscores the ongoing economic and health peril they face.
This problem is not new. It only grows direr. A healthcare crisis can begin to cascade when someone cannot afford insulin.
Many men, women and children require one or more daily insulin shots. When times are tough, some choose to forego their shots or ration their insulin, risking more significant health problems such as amputation, blindness or even death.
No one should fear going to a hospital emergency room because they cannot afford to fill or refill their insulin prescription.
While health insurance profits continue to grow, insulin-dependent middle-class families struggle. When will their battle be over? When will all elected officials take a stand to protect working families from skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs because they have diabetes?