From Moms Rising (https://www.momsrising.org/):
In August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, which placed a $35 cap on insulin for people 65 and over and on Medicare. [1] This is a great start! But thanks to Republican politicians doing the bidding of Big Pharma, millions of people with diabetes on private insurance will still have to pay substantially more for insulin—in many cases, more than they can afford. And uninsured people have it the worst. They are much more likely to pay the full list price for insulin than the privately insured, and are much less likely to be able to afford prescription medicines.
We need Congress to act to save lives by capping the price of insulin! Act now at https://action.momsrising.org/sign/insulincaps.
When insulin was discovered, inventor Frederick Banting refused to put his name on the original patent so that insulin would be affordable to all; the patent sold for $1. However, today, insulin has become the poster child for pharmaceutical corporation price gouging. [2]
On average, insulin in the U.S. costs 800% more than in other developed countries, like Canada. The high out-of-pocket costs lead many diabetics to ration their insulin—a practice that can lead to blindness, loss of limbs, and even death. [3]
By not putting a cap on the prices of insulin, it invites the private insurance market to cave into the pressure from Big Pharma at the expense of millions of Americans. American families are struggling. What Big Pharma, and their allies in Congress, are doing isn’t just unethical, it’s life-threatening.
Seven million Americans require daily insulin. Of that seven million, 14% spend at least 40% of their income on insulin after paying for food and housing. [4] 40%!! This is completely unsustainable and will only get worse if Congress doesn’t act fast to cap the price of insulin for everyone who needs it.
*Sign on now! Tell Congress to take meaningful action to cap the price of insulin! Here is what the petition says:
Dear members of Congress,
Everyone should be able to access and afford the medication they need in order to live a healthy, productive life. Across the country, families are at risk for poor health outcomes because drug prices are preventing them from maintaining their health. On average, insulin in the U.S. costs 800% more than in other developed countries, like Canada. The high out-of-pocket costs lead many diabetics to ration their insulin—a practice that can lead to blindness, loss of limbs, and even death. We cannot stand silent as this continues.
To truly lower drug prices for everyone and end monopoly control of drug prices by corporations, people need help to reduce out-of-pocket costs! Insulin is a life-saving medication that should be easily available to anyone who needs it. We urge you to cap the price of insulin for everyone!
Please work together to make insulin prices affordable and consequently save the lives of countless Americans.
Don’t forget to sign on! Lives are at stake. We cannot sit by and continue to let pharmaceutical companies put profits before the lives of our family members and friends by giving them free rein on insulin prices. We need Congress to take action.
The more people who speak out, the bigger our impact. Please take a moment to forward our action link to your friends and family and share our action link on social media: https://action.momsrising.org/sign/insulincaps
Together we are a powerful voice for the health of families.
References:
- CMS, The Inflation Reduction Act Lowers Health Care Costs for Millions of Americans, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/inflation-reduction-act-lowers-health-care-costs-millions-americans
- Vox, The absurdly high cost of insulin, explained https://www.vox.com/2019/4/3/18293950/why-is-insulin-so-expensive
- Fortune, Insulin’s deadly cost: Ultrahigh prices in the U.S. mean many diabetics can’t afford the medication they need to survive, https://fortune.com/longform/insulin-cost-diabetes-treatment
- Yale News, Insulin is an extreme financial burden for over 14% of Americans who use it, https://news.yale.edu/2022/07/05/insulin-extreme-financial-burden-over-14-americans-who-use-it
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