CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A bill that would cap the cost insulin was approved Friday by the House Judiciary Committee and forwarded to the house for approval. House Bill 4543 would cap the cost of a 30-day supply of insulin at $25.
Democrat Monongalia County Delegate and sponsor, Barbara Evans Fleischauer and Republican Delegate Jordan Hill and Chair of the House Health and Human Resources Committee from Nicholas County have been working together to get measure through the 60-day session.
Fleischauer has shared many stories from her constituents about rising drug costs and co-pays for insulin. It is not uncommon for residents to ration or go without because of the cost.
During the committee hearing there was concern about the effect on private insurance, or how is the cost beyond the cap handled. Under the bill, the diabetic patient would pay the $25, the insurance company would pay an amount according to the policy and any leftover balance would be a loss to the insurance company.
Delegate Fleischauer says it’s time we try to help those battling diabetes and the cost of insulin.
“We are going to help a lot of West Virginians, it’s not clear if we have the largest or the second diabetic population in the country,”Fleischauer said,”We have people that are both Type I and Type II and the Type I people couldn’t do anything to prevent it.”
Fleischauer also says studies in Colorado following the passage of that cap law showed little change in the private insurance market.
“The Colorado Sun reviewed the 21 health plans giving their rates for they year following,”Fleischauer said,”When they talk about increasing their rates they use words like negligible and it’s expected that the cost sharing caps will have a de minimis impact on rates.”
Joylynn Fix, director rates and forms in the Office of the Insurance Commissioner says cap legislation would many on fixed incomes.
“You’ve got medicare members out there who may be paying the full $800 or $900, whatever that cost is during that time in the doughnut hole until they reach the other side,”Fix said.
The bill would also cover testing supplies and other medical equipment required by diabetic patients.