DeGette Delivers Bill to Cap Insulin Cost at $35 Per Month

September 3, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Diana DeGette (CO-01), Co-Chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, along with Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08) , and Angie Craig (MN-02), introduced the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (“INSULIN”) Act. This bill will cap the cost of insulin at $35 per month for insured individuals. “Insulin insecurity is not a partisan issue. It’s a life-or-death issue,” said Rep. DeGette . “I have fought for years to lower the price of insulin for the over 40 million Americans living with diabetes. I have met with too many Coloradans who have shared their painful experience of rationing their insulin so they could afford groceries. No one in America should be forced to choose between their life-saving medication or feeding their families.” "As a doctor, I have spent my career fighting for patients, and I've watched too many of them ration a hundred-year-old medicine because the price tag made it impossible to afford,” said Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. . “That's not right, and it never should have taken this long to fix. I'm proud to lead this effort in the House, and I won't stop until every American with diabetes can afford the insulin that keeps them alive." “As a doctor with Type 1 diabetes who depends on insulin, I understand the immediate need to bring down the cost of insulin – especially at a time when so many Americans are already struggling with high costs,” said Rep. Schrier . “I am proud to introduce this groundbreaking bipartisan legislation that will cap the price of insulin for all Americans and make a meaningful difference in the lives and the health of everyone in our districts.” “Diabetes stole the lives of 100,000 Americans last year. Tens of millions of Americans are living with diabetes, and for many, insulin is a matter of life and death,” said Rep. Bresnahan . “No American should have to choose between paying the bills and getting the insulin they need, or risk their life rationing the doses they have left. This legislation isn’t just a Band-Aid on the problem. It delivers immediate relief for patients and reforms that will increase competition and drive down prices over the long term. Lowering the cost of insulin puts money back where it belongs: in the pockets of working families who need every dollar they earn. Middlemen and big corporations shouldn’t be making extra cash off the backs of working people who rely on insulin to survive.” View the bill text here . Background: With more than 40.1 million Americans estimated to be living with diabetes, the INSULIN Act is the result of Rep. DeGette’s commitment to making health care affordable for more Americans. The INSULIN Act will: Cap out-of-pocket patient cost-sharing for individuals with insurance at $35 a month; Prohibit health care plans from applying any deductible to select insulin products; Help uninsured people with diabetes get access to insulin; and Get biosimilar insulin to market more quickly. As co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, Rep. Diana DeGette has championed a multi-year, comprehensive effort to address the skyrocketing cost of insulin and improve care for millions of Americans living with diabetes, and she has worked to ensure people with diabetes have access to the latest standard of care in medicine and technology. Before becoming the top Democrat on the Health subcommittee, Rep. DeGette launched the first-ever Congressional study to find legislative solutions for the worsening insulin pricing crisis. Building on the study's framework, Rep. DeGette convened a historic Congressional hearing in April 2019. For the first time, all three U.S. insulin manufacturers and the nation's three largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) were called to testify jointly about surging costs. Following nearly three hours of testimony, Rep. DeGette declared the current pricing system "fully broken" and issued a mandate to the executives to immediately develop collaborative cost-lowering solutions. A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and John Kennedy (R-LA). This bill has broad support among diabetes advocates. “The American Diabetes Association (ADA) appreciates and applauds the House’s bipartisan introduction of the INSULIN Act, which would limit out-of-pocket insulin costs for patients at $35 a month,” said Lisa Murdock, Chief Advocacy Officer of ADA . “A recent survey, commissioned by ADA, showed that 40% of insulin users currently pay $150 each month, and there is widespread bipartisan support across the U.S. for making insulin affordable. The INSULIN Act would ensure no one has to choose between paying for insulin and other necessities. This bill puts people first and is a commonsense way to lower health care costs for Americans depending on insulin to live.” “For the millions of Americans who rely on insulin every day, no one should have to choose between paying for their medication and meeting other basic needs, said Dr. Robert Lash, Chief Medical Officer with the Endocrine Society. “The Endocrine Society applauds Representatives DeGette, Schrier, Miller-Meeks, Bresnahan, and Craig for introducing the INSULIN Act, which would help make insulin more affordable for people with private insurance while connecting uninsured patients to resources that can help them access this lifesaving medication. This bipartisan legislation is an important step toward ensuring that all people who need insulin can obtain it and stay healthy.” “The Diabetes Leadership Council (DLC) and Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition (DPAC) applaud and thank Representatives DeGette, Miller-Meeks, Schrier, and Bresnahan for introducing the INSULIN Act of 2026,” said George Huntley, CEO . “This legislation will greatly improve access to affordable insulins for people living with diabetes, and it is time that the $35 monthly insulin co-pay cap apply to everyone as it does to Medicare beneficiaries today. We look forward to working to get this legislation across the finish line before the end of the 119 th Congress.” “For the more than 1.5 million Americans with type one diabetes (T1D), insulin access is life-or-death,” said Lynn Starr, Breakthrough T1D Chief Global Advocacy Officer . “By capping out-of-pocket cost at $35, the INSULIN Act ensures that people have dependable, affordable access to the insulin they require to live. We applaud Representatives DeGette, Miller-Meeks, Schrier, Bresnahan, and Craig for introducing the House INSULIN Act and urge their colleagues to stand with them on the side of all those living with T1D. While there is still more work to be done, we are hopeful that, together with the Senate, we will finally have the access to affordable insulin the entire T1D community deserves and depends on.” ### Issues : Price of Insulin