CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia lawmakers wanted a $25 cap on the monthly cost of insulin, but settled on House Bill 4543 that delivered a $100 cap.
In addition to the $100 cap, the bill requires insurance providers to cover diabetes equipment, but those costs are not capped.
Mon County Delegate Barbara Evans-Fleischauer got involved in the cause following a trip to Canada to allow diabetic West Virginians the opportunity to purchase insulin at a 60 percent discount.
“It’s crazy to think a life saving medicine that was discovered 100 years ago would have dramatically increased in price for the co-pay,”Fleischauer said,”My co-pay is $5, $10 maybe $20 for something expensive, but these people are paying $300, $400 even $500.”
According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources about 15 percent of West Virginians suffer from diabetes and depend on insulin.
On WAJR’s Talk of the Town, Fleischauer explained cost caps passed in other states have not effected insulin prices. Colorado passed insulin cost caps in 2019 and there was no price change in 2020.
Fleischauer says the cost of House Bill 4543 is absorbed throughout the layers of manufacturers, wholesalers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) and has safeguards for small pharmacies.
“It’s not just the manufacturers, but also these PBM’s and wholesalers, there are several different layers and I think we’re taking a piece of that money,”Fleischauer said,”So, we have said the small pharmacies at the bottom are not allowed to be penalized.”
Fleischauer had praise for the support of fellow lawmakers, West Virginia Chapter of #insulin4all and statewide supporters.