SEN. KOLKHORST FILES LEGISLATION CAPPING COST OF INSULIN
State Senator Lois Kolkhorst has filed legislation in an effort to lower healthcare costs for Texas families dealing with diabetes.
(courtesy Office of Lois Kolkhorst)
On Friday, Kolkhorst filed Senate Bill 827 to implement a cap of $50 on the out-of-pocket monthly cost of insulin for those covered by insurance.
Kolkhorst, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, said in a release that she was “alarmed” when the Biden Administration froze the Trump Administration’s $35 cap for some Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.
Kolkhorst said insulin is a matter of life and death for many Texans, and rising insulin prices have “forced them to the breaking point.” She said this has led her to take action with other lawmakers to see that “no Texan has to choose between paying for food or insulin.”
The bill states that a health benefit plan may not impose a cost-sharing provision for insulin if the total amount the enrollee is required to pay exceeds $50 for a 30-day supply, regardless of the amount or type of insulin needed to fill the enrollee’s prescription.
The bill also instructs the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to conduct a study evaluating pricing of prescription insulin drugs to “ensure adequate consumer protections” and consider whether additional protections are necessary. The results of the study would be presented no later than September 1, 2022.
According to Kolkhorst’s release, those living with diabetes frequently spend from $300 to over $1,000 per month on the cost of their insulin supply, not including any other diabetes-related medical supplies that are needed.
To date, 14 states have implemented insulin copay caps that range from $25 to $100.