Claims for the Insulin Cap

Everyday billion of people suffer with diabetes. Whether if be type one or type two, people every where are suffering from diabetes. In the state of Nebraska there are a total of 174,000 people who are diagnosed with diabetes and every year 8,000 more are diagnosed. (factual)

In order for people with diabetes to maintain a healthy lifestyle with this disease they need their proper dose of insulin. (factual) Insulin is a medicine that helps regulate blood sugars.(factual) If the insulin levels are too high or low it can cause a person’s blood sugars to become too low or high and cause symptoms and even health risks. (causal)

One main issue with insulin is the price per bottle. USA today asked the top 3 insulin brands their cost and they ranged anywhere from $200-$400, but does not say if that’s with or without insurance. The rise of insulin prices across the nation have cause diabetics to either ration, skip, or refuse to start taking the medicine to begin with. (causal) People who have started using insulin and then quit can eventually suffer from severe health problems. (causal)

People who are taking less doses or are cutting out insulin all together who need it are potentially putting their body through severe health issues. Not taking insulin can cause a diabetic to experience complications like heart disease, stroke, amputation, kidney disease, blindness, and in extreme cases death. (causal) Some users are even opting to an older version of insulin for cheaper, but it’s not as effective.

One way states are working towards combatting these high insulin prices is by putting a copay cap on insulin. So far, there are eight states that are considering the Insulin cap bill in 2020. (factual) In Nebraska, Senator Bolz proposed bill that would cap insulin prices at $100 in Nebraska. (factual) The problem with the bill and why many aren’t too excited about it is because the bill is only applied to people with insurance having to pay a copay for their insulin. People will no insurance are still paying the full price for insulin and aren’t including the $100 copay cap if the bill goes through. (value)

Insulin is a vital medicine diabetics need to survive. Passing bills to have a copay cap for insulin at $100, won’t be enough until insulin is affordable for all. (policy claim) Users with and without insurance shouldn’t have to worry about if they can afford their next bottle of insulin or worry about rationing it, they should only worry about getting their proper dosage at a reasonable price.