Everyday billions of people suffer from diabetes. Whether it be type one or type two, people everywhere 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.
In order for diabetics to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle they need a medicine called insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels in their body. If a person’s blood sugar levels are too high or low, it can cause symptoms and even health risks to the person. Diabetics need the proper dosage of insulin to keep their bodies functioning properly or they start experiencing problems within their body.
The problem for most diabetics is the price of insulin per bottle is often too expensive to afford. Between 2002 and 2013 the price of insulin has tripled to adjust for inflation. USA Today asked the top 3 insulin brands the cost per bottle and the prices ranged anywhere from $200-$400 but doesn’t say if that’s with or without insurance. The rising cost of insulin across the nation have caused diabetics to either ration, skip, or refuse to start taking the medicine to begin with. People who are using insulin and then stop can eventually suffer from severe health problems. A study done by Yale researches found that four people have died this year already from rationing their insulin because they couldn’t afford it.
If a diabetic isn’t taking the right amount of insulin it can cause severe health issues. Complications like heart disease, stroke, amputation, kidney disease, blindness, and in extreme cases death are all results of a diabetic not taking the proper dosage of insulin. Some users are even opting to use an older version of insulin that’s cheaper, but 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. In Nebraska, Senator Bolz proposed a bill that would cap insulin prices at $100 in Nebraska for a one-month supply.
The bill although seems to be moving in the right direction, only applies to people who have private insurance. People are looking at the bill with little enthusiasm. States have no power over people who are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health-care programs. The copay cap doesn’t apply to people who are also uninsured. People without insurance are having to pay full price for insulin and most can’t afford it every month.
Diabetics need insulin to survive. Insulin needs to be made affordable for all even if they don’t have insurance. The Insulin Copay Cap is a step in the right direction for insuring diabetics are able to afford a medicine they need to live, but it’s not enough unless it’s affordable for all diabetics. Diabetes isn’t a preventable or a curable disease, so don’t make it so they can’t afford the medicine they need to survive. Access to affordable medicine should be a right for everyone who needs it, not the privileged who can afford it.
Alana's Blog 
Really great topic, though, of course, I’m biased.
I like your argument that the copay cap is good, but not enough. There are numerous examples of people dying because they are trying to stretch out their insulin supply because they don’t currently have health insurance. Using specific examples can help. (Though I realize that there may not be publicized examples of this in Nebraska.)
You might want to have a clear statement of the problem in your opening graph. Also, this is a little sterile. Getting at what does it mean for parents to have trouble affording insulin for their children.
So the core here is good – you just need to work on the refinements.
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