SHERRY YATES YOUNG/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/AP
On Sunday, Senate Republicans rejected a proposal to limit out-of-pocket insulin costs for non-Medicare patients.
The price of the age-old medication has tripled more than two decades, forcing patients with diabetes to spend thousands of dollars on the life-saving drug.
sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) proposed a $35 cap on monthly out-of-pocket insulin costs as part of Democrats’ sweeping health care and climate package that the Senate is about to pass. But during a marathon weekend of consecutive votes on the legislation, Republicans have lowered the limit for patients with private insurance. The Senate legislator, an unbiased adviser, ruled that the non-Medicare portion of the proposed limit did not comply with reconciliation rules, the tactic Democrats use to pass legislation and avoid a Republican filibuster.
In a partial victory for Democrats, the piece of legislation that limits insulin costs for Medicare patients went untouched. More than 7 million Americans rely on insulin to control their diabetes, including more than 3 million Medicare beneficiaries. Monthly co-payments for insulin are: capped in 20 states, including nine states where the limit is $35 or lower.