Legislation to support lower insulin costs needs to move forward

Kentucky lawmakers are building on last year’s progress to help Kentuckians with diabetes access life-saving insulin. Enacting Kevin’s Law allows pharmacies to dispense life-saving insulin in emergencies, even when a prescription has lapsed or a prescriber can’t be reached.

The National Diabetes Volunteer Leadership Council (NDVLC) is pleased to see Sen. Danny Bentley, the sponsor of Kevin’s Law, continue his work on behalf of the diabetes community this year by advancing legislation that caps consumer cost-sharing for insulin.

This important law requires insurers and pharmacy benefit managers to share some of the deep discounts they negotiate on consumers’ behalf, instead of making people with diabetes pay inflated list prices for the insulin they need to survive.

NDVLC is encouraged to see these and other changes at the state and national level as more policymakers, employers and other system stakeholders begin to understand and address high insulin costs. There are no single, easy solutions – the U.S. health care system is too complicated for a single player to fully own the problem, much less fix it. Nevertheless, real progress is underway. Legislators are understandably focused on what isn’t working in the system, but it is equally important to shine a light on what is working.

It’s time to spread the word: help is available today. People with diabetes do not have to wait for legislation if they are struggling to afford insulin. There are more assistance options available than ever before to meet the diabetes community’s diverse needs and circumstances.

NDVLC maintains an overview of insulin cost saving options at ndvlc.org/reduce so people with diabetes and their loved ones can find and decide what works for them. No one should have to ration insulin when help may be a phone call or internet search away.

All three major insulin manufacturers now provide free and discounted insulin to uninsured and under-insured people with diabetes. Consumer costs range from zero to $100 for a month’s supply of insulin, depending on the program and individual’s eligibility. One manufacturer program serves more than 10,000 people per month.

Authorized generic insulin is now available at half the list price – or as little as $68 per vial using free discount apps like GoodRx. Most pharmacies can order it for delivery in one to three business days. Wal-mart and CVS also sell their own brands of human insulin for $25 per vial. Many people with diabetes have never used these older insulins so it is best to work out safe dosing with their health care provider. In an emergency, human insulins can be a life-saving alternative to rationing analog insulin.

Low- or no-cost insulin is also available through Kentucky’s network of community hospitals and clinics. These safety net providers purchase insulin at pennies per unit through a federal program and should extend these prices to eligible Kentuckians using their pharmacies.

Diabetes touches every family and every community in the state. While the nation grapples with the deeper flaws in our health care and coverage systems that drive up consumer costs for insulin and other prescription medicines, states and communities can help shore up these safety nets and raise awareness so people in need can find them.

There are more cost saving suggestions available at ndvlc.org/reduce.

Lexington residents Larry Smith and Stewart Perry are officers of the National Diabetes Volunteer Leadership Council (NDVLC) and former national chairs of the American Diabetes Association Board of Directors.