ICYMI: In New Editorial, The Eagle-Tribune Calls for Passage of Shaheen’s INSULIN Act, Underscoring Legislation’s Broad Bipartisan Support

(Washington, DC) – In a new editorial titled, “ Our View: Politicians can at least agree on insulin price caps, ” New Hampshire’s The Eagle-Tribune editorial board expressed its strong support for the INSULIN Act , legislation championed by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, to cap monthly out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 . The editorial argues that Shaheen’s legislation is a commonsense step Congress can take to protect Americans from being forced to shell out thousands of dollars a year for insulin, and that passage of the bill would be a chance for lawmakers to prove that Congress is still able to deliver bipartisan solutions for the American people. Shaheen’s bipartisan INSULIN Act would cap monthly out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 a month for all Americans with insurance, expanding the effective price cap for Americans on Medicare. Currently, a majority of states do not have a $35 a month cap on insulin costs. Shaheen’s INSULIN Act would immediately change that, lowering prices for millions and ensuring that the state one lives in doesn’t determine whether they can afford their life-saving insulin. The Eagle-Tribune’s editorial comes as momentum continues to build for the INSULIN Act , with both Senate Democrats and Republicans expressing their support for the legislation in Washington last week. Click HERE to read the editorial in The Eagle-Tribune . The text of the piece has been provided below. Our View: Politicians can at least agree on insulin price caps Congress has a chance to show at least a small bit of bipartisanship by supporting New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s proposal to make insulin affordable for all Americans. The so-called INSULIN Act, of which Shaheen is the lead sponsor, would cap insulin costs at $35 for a month’s supply. Insulin is already $35 a month for those on Medicare, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Shaheen’s bill would extend that cap to those who carry private insurance. It would also launch a pilot program in 10 states that would cap insulin costs for uninsured patients. The measure would bring some clarity and fairness to the millions of Americans who use the drug to treat their diabetes. Currently, how much you pay depends on how good your insurance is. If you are on Medicare, or you have decent insurance, the cost tops out at $35. If you don’t, you’re often left guessing. It shouldn’t be a crapshoot. To its credit, New Hampshire is one of 29 states that has price caps on insulin for those with commercial insurance. A 30-day supply of insulin in the Granite State costs $30. In Massachusetts, the cap is set at $25. It makes sense: There is no reason for the cost of insulin to be so high, other than profiteering. Those who need the drug to treat their diabetes have no other option than to use insulin. That allows all manner of jockeying among pharmaceutical companies to squeeze all the profit they can out of the drug, which was first developed a century ago. Without the cap, and without decent insurance, the cost of insulin can run into thousands of dollars a year. “This is just really overwhelming to have to think about living with this disease for the rest of my life,” Auburn, New Hampshire, 17-year-old Portia Joy said at a Nashua forum organized by Shaheen last month. “And I’m contemplating if I’m going to be able to afford the medicine that I need to live.” It’s a dilemma faced by many Americans. “This is not only the right thing to do,” Shaheen said of her bill, “but it’s an opportunity for us to provide some relief for so many families who are really struggling with high costs.” The bill has a better chance than most of passing in an increasingly divided Congress. Fourteen Republican senators, including Susan Collins of Maine, have signed on in support of the proposal. “I don’t know why it should divide Republicans,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, told Politico. “Who is in favor of allowing these pharma companies to rip off people with high insulin prices when there is no supply issue or production issue?” Still, the bill remains a long shot as the November midterm elections approach. The measure has yet to make it to the floor, and there is no House version in the works. And this wouldn’t bankrupt pharmaceutical companies. Eli Lilly, for example, agreed last year to cap what it charges for insulin. “Lilly was the first company to cap what patients pay at $35 per month for all of our insulins, and has been working for years to reduce insulin out-of-pocket costs for people with diabetes, against the headwind of those that benefit from rebates and choose higher list-price medicines over lower-priced options,” company spokesperson Jared Shapiro told Politico. If a drug company can cap the price of insulin, why can’t the federal government? ###