YORKTOWN, Va. – The Inflation Reduction Act is currently making its way through the U.S. House where it’s expected to pass.
A $35 insulin price cap for Medicare beneficiaries is part of the bill, but a similar cap for private insurers was removed.
Laurie Cooper has had Type 1 diabetes since the age of 14 and takes insulin every day. She said her life depends on it.
“Without insulin I would die,” Cooper said. “That’s the bottom line.”
Cooper says the cost of insulin is out of control.
“I am on 8 different pills a day,” said Cooper. “I pay nothing for them through Medicare, but my insulin’s a different story. I pay for that. Why can’t that be included just like all the other medicines? Why is it such a high price for it?
Just a few months ago, Cooper was paying nearly $300 for insulin. She now pays $95 every three months, but it’s still tough for people like her on a fixed income.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicare Part D enrollees spent $1 billion out of pocket on insulin in 2020.
“We can’t afford that,” she said. “It’s outrageous. It’s totally outrageous.”
News 3 first met Cooper in April on her search for a kidney transplant. It’ll be one year this November that the 66-year-old has been on the waiting list.
“I pray every day that, not that someone dies, but something happens that to where someone comes forward that I can get a kidney,” Cooper said.
As she continues to wait for the lifesaving organ, she also holds out hope that lawmakers won’t forget about taking action to lower the out-of-pocket price of the lifesaving drug.
“This is not right,” said Cooper. “This is not right. We need to be able to afford our medicine.”
The House is expected to pass the bill on Friday.
Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Virginia) told News 3 she’s hopeful the Senate will bring the provision to cap insulin back for a vote in September.
In a statement, Luria said she has supported legislation to lower health care and drug costs.
"More than 37 million Americans rely on insulin, and it's unconscionable that Republicans would put drug companies over the health and well-being of the American people by blocking the provision to cap the price of insulin in the Inflation Reduction Act. The high cost of prescription drugs impacts millions of Americans every day, and the Inflation Reduction Act will quickly lower health care costs and put money back into the pockets of working families.
“In March, I voted for the Affordable Insulin Now Act to cap the out-of-pocket price of insulin, and I will continue fighting to lower the costs of prescription drugs. I remain hopeful that the Senate will bring the provision to cap insulin back for a vote in September."
The office of Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) sent a statement that read:
“Congressman Wittman was not involved in the negotiations of the Senate’s Inflation Reduction Act. When it comes to a vote on the House Floor on Friday, Congressman Wittman is not anticipating Democrat leadership to allow amendments to the bill.
“Congressman Wittman believes that this bill will raise taxes on Americans, reduce health care innovation, and hurt Americans at the gas pump by harming American energy production. All while adding 87,000 new IRS agents and worsen inflation.”
