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Rep. Greg Landsman Introduces Bill in Congress to Cap Insulin Prices at $35 a Month for Children

"Insulin is a lifesaving medication, but every day in our country – families are forced to make drastic financial decisions just to ensure their child with diabetes has what they need to survive."

By Katherine Barrier on Wed, Mar 15, 2023 at 10:17 am

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Photo: Katherine Barrier

Rep. Greg Landsman has introduced the Making Insulin Affordable for All Children Act in Congress.

Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Cincinnati, on March 15 introduced legislation to cap the cost of insulin for children, his first bill in Congress.

The Making Insulin Affordable for All Children Act would ensure everyone 26 or younger covered by private health insurance plans or Medicaid would pay $35 a month at most for their insulin.

“Insulin is a lifesaving medication, but every day in our country – families are forced to make drastic financial decisions just to ensure their child with diabetes has what they need to survive,” Landsman said in a press release. “No family should be forced into bankruptcy or deprived of care because of the outrageous cost of insulin every month.”

At President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in February, Landsman was joined by Isaiah Gentry, a Cincinnati seventh-grader who has type 1 diabetes. Landsman said the cost of insulin pushed Gentry’s mother into a lower-paying job just to ensure he could receive affordable insulin and health care through Medicaid.

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“Last year, Congress delivered for seniors in a big way by ensuring those on Medicare had their monthly insulin costs capped at $35 per month, and it’s time we do the same for our children. I’ve seen firsthand what the sky-cost of insulin does to families across Southwest Ohio, and I’m honored to fight for Isaiah Gentry and children just like him all across America,” said Landsman.

Indianapolis drugmaker Eli Lilly makes several insulin products, including its rapid-acting insulin lispro, Humalog; the long-acting insulin glargine, Basaglar; and regular insulin, Humulin-R. In March, Eli Lilly announced a series of price cuts that would cap out-of-pocket costs for its most commonly prescribed insulins for the insured at $35 a month. It also said it would expand its Insulin Value Program for the uninsured, which also caps monthly costs at $35.