A bipartisan pair of Kentucky lawmakers are for the second year in a row seeking to provide provisions for diabetics facing financial struggles to continue receiving insulin.
The fight for affordable medicine is on
Rep. Dan Wolgamott
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One of the most common topics of conversation I have with constituents, be it at the doors, over Zoom calls, or in written correspondence, is the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs and the cost of health care in general.
This was an issue that existed well before COVID-19, though the pandemic has certainly laid bare the inequities of our health care system but it has also shown our ability and ingenuity in providing medical assistance on a massive scale with testing and vaccines at no additional cost to Minnesotans. In the Minnesota House, regardless of the state of the pandemic, I’m supporting and fighting for legislation that would make prescription drugs more affordable and accessible for all Minnesotans.
HELENA â Quinn Leighton was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 3.Â
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic disease that causes the pancreas to not produce enough insulin, which means people with the disease need to inject insulin to stay alive.Â
Because of the condition, Leighton became an activist. They became the leader of T1 Internationalâs Montana Chapter after finding that the Montana chapter didnât have a leader.
âI donât really know a life without diabetes,â Leighton said. âItâs pretty much all I know. And so Iâve just been able to talk about my own experiences.even before I took on that role.â
Lawmakers have rejected a fourth bill aiming to enhance access to insulin.
On Wednesday, the House Health and Human Services Committee tabled The Montana Insulin Safety Net Program Act on a 10-9 vote, which would have established a program to get insulin to people who need it most.
Under the act, people with diabetes would have been eligible for a free bottle of insulin from the state once per year if they have an insurance co-pay of more than $75, were not on Medicaid and had seven or fewer days worth of insulin left.
Proponents at the hearing said the bill was a way to keep people from rationing their insulin between paychecks. Quinn Leighton, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age three, spoke in support of the bill on behalf of T1 International, an organization that supports laws to reduce insulin prices.
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PhRMA Can t Get Minn. Insulin Pricing Law Overturned
Law360 (March 16, 2021, 9:51 PM EDT) A Minnesota federal judge tossed a lawsuit by the drug industry s top lobbying group that sought to overturn a state law requiring drugmakers to provide insulin to low-income diabetic patients, saying the group can t seek an injunction in federal court but might be able to pursue compensation in state court.
U.S. District Judge David S. Doty said Monday that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America s claims that the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act violates the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment do not hold up.