14% of Americans who rely on insulin face 'catastrophic' spending on it, meaning at least 40% of their income after food and housing goes toward insulin.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was poised to pass in the House of Representatives on Friday, after clearing the Senate the weekend before. The good news for millions of seniors on Medicare is that the bill caps out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year, including a $35 price cap on insulin copays. Considering one in three Medicare beneficiaries has diabetes, and more than 3.3 million of them use insulin, this cap can ease the financial burden of diabetes treatment for millions of people.
So what happens when someone does not get enough insulin into their body? Severe hyperglycemia sets in, which can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis , meaning the body begins to break down fats for energy instead of sugars. This leads to an excessive amount of acids called ketones building up in the bloodstream and urine. Untreated, it leads to death.
“Insulin is too expensive for too many people with diabetes. We appreciate the Senate approving copay cap for seniors, but disappointed 43 senators opposed making insulin affordable for those with private insurance,” Dr. Robert Gabbay, the American Diabetes Association’s chief scientist and medical officer, said in a statement after the Senate vote. “We stand ready to work with Congress to make insulin affordable for all Americans who need it.
This could indeed be a hot-button issue in the November midterms. In the week running up to the House vote on the bill, Google searches for “insulin prices” spiked 800% in the U.S., and Americans looking up “insulin” were also googling “voting” in the past week. What’s more, “$35 cap on insulin” and “insulin cap vote” were breakout searches over the past week.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Apple Could Release iPhone 14 And iPhone 14 Pro Sooner Than ExpectedThe smart money for the next Apple special event has been on September 13. But that may just have changed.
Read more »
Eye implant made from pig protein restored sight in 14 blind peopleIn total, 20 patients received the implants, then regained some or all of their vision after two years.
Read more »
14 Virtual And IRL Things To Do Around DC This WeekendHit up Alexandria's summer sidewalk sale, enjoy the African American history museum's hip-hop block party from the comfort of your couch, or learn how to make kombucha at events around the D.C. region this weekend.
Read more »