Ohio Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill that would put a $100 a month per person cap maximum on the increasing price of insulin for individuals with diabetes. This cap is considerably low considering it can cost anywhere from $600-1,200 a month in the state of Ohio.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, or commonly known as blood sugar is too high. Insulin and glucagon are hormones secreted by islet cells within the pancreas that helps maintain blood sugar levels. When the pancreas struggles to produce these hormones or lack of nutrition can then be maintained and controlled by the drug insulin.
There are 1.3 million adults in the state of Ohio that are currently living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. 70,000 individuals are diagnosed each year. This bill is following the model of a similar one in Colorado which has proved to financially help millions in that state.
From 2012 to 2016 insulin prices nearly doubled. Insulin prices are continuously rising without giving supportive evidence of the reason for the increase. Cap prices can compel corporations to increase prices for profit while putting individuals’ lives at risk. Many individuals will limit their doses of insulin due to the fact they can not afford the amount they need.
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Ohio Senator Hearcel F. Craig tweeted “Every day there are diabetics who are forced to choose between life-saving medication and feeding their families or paying their bills. By making insulin more affordable, we can save lives.”
Prices for insulin that are manufactured by the same companies are dramatically lower. In Canada insulin prices are 90% cheaper compared to the U.S. while Mexico’s insulin is 50% cheaper than the U.S. Many individuals and families have admitted to traveling across country lines to purchase insulin because of the dramatic cost difference. Every year around this time stories are produced and written about the issue, and every year the numbers continue to go up, whether its cost of insulin, the number of people rationing, or lives lost, officials said.
Nikki Neumann
Reporter