ICYMI: Shaheen Raises Bipartisan INSULIN Act on MS Now as Health Care Affordability Remains Top-of-Mind for American People

**Support is growing for Shaheen’s bipartisan legislation that caps the monthly-out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35** (Manchester, NH) – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), co-chair of the U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus and author of the bipartisan Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act , joined MS Now’s Chris Jansing Reports today to in part discuss the need to lower the cost of insulin as health care affordability remains top-of-mind for Americans . The Senator joined MS Now from the new Jean School of Nursing at St. Anselm College, where she held a roundtable to discuss barriers to insulin affordability with local health care leaders, advocates and Granite Staters living with Type 1 Diabetes. Click HERE to view the full clip. The INSULIN Act —which Shaheen leads alongside U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and John Kennedy (R-LA)—would cap the monthly-out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35. Importantly, the legislation would create a pilot program to provide insulin at the same cost to Americans without insurance. Shaheen’s bill enjoys robust bipartisan support with seven senators from each party backing the proposal after picking up two additional cosponsors last week. Key quotes from Shaheen on MS Now: “I’m actually here at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, at their new school of nursing, and we just had a discussion with medical providers, with those with Type 1 Diabetes, with advocates talking about the legislation that Senator Collins and I have introduced that would cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month.” “We did that two years ago for people on Medicare, but for people who have health insurance, they’re still paying much more than that in most cases. So this would cap the cost of insulin, and it would set up a pilot program for people who don’t have health insurance to be able to cover the cost of insulin for them, as well.” “As you point out, this is a number one issue for my constituents who are worried about how they’re going to be able to pay for their health insurance. And this President has done nothing to address it.” Click HERE to view bill text. The INSULIN Act would directly address the root problems in the insulin market causing high list prices, while simultaneously extending vital patient protections, fostering competition and broadening access to needed insulin products. Specifically, the INSULIN Act : Limits out-of-pocket costs for patients with diabetes by ensuring that group and individual market health plans must waive any deductible and limit cost-sharing to no more than $35 per month for at least one insulin of each type and dosage form. Mandates pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) pass through 100% of insulin rebates and other discounts received from manufacturers to plan sponsors, reducing perverse incentives in the insulin market that encourage high list prices and help patients in the form of reduced premiums. Promotes generic and biosimilar competition to lower costs for patients. Creates a pilot grant program for 10 states to implement programs to identify uninsured diabetes patients and provide them with insulin at $35 a month. Establishes an insulin resource center and hotline for uninsured diabetes patients to connect them with resources about diabetes and programs to help them secure insulin. ###