AUSTIN – In an effort to lower healthcare costs for millions of Texas families, State Senator Lois W. Kolkhorst has filed SB 827 to implement a cap of $50 on the out-of-pocket monthly cost of insulin for those
covered by insurance.
As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services, Kolkhorst said she was alarmed when the Biden administration froze the Trump Administrations’ $35 cap for some Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.
“Approximately 3 million Texans, nearly 11 percent of the population, live with diabetes many of whom depend on insulin to survive has diabetes,” said Kolkhorst. “This is a matter of life and death and for many Texans, rising insulin prices have forced them to the breaking point. That’s why I have taken action with the support of a broad bipartisan coalition of lawmakers to see that no Texan has to choose between paying for food or insulin. There have been no advances with insulin in decades and there is no need for high prices”
The price of insulin, a cheap and abundant medicine for over a century, has inexplicably increased nearly 1,000 percent over the last 25 years, making it more and more difficult for Texans to afford. Frequently those living with diabetes spend anywhere from $300 to over $1,000 per month on the cost of their supply of insulin, not including any additionally needed diabetes-related medical supplies. In addition, Texans living with diabetes face challenges to their health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges that increase their COVID risk for complications and death. To date, 14 states have implemented similar insulin copay caps that range from $25 to $100 dollars.
The Senate of Texas | Lois Kolkhorst