Sen. Klobuchar Pushes Bill Capping Insulin Costs At $35 Per Month

WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is pushing new legislation to lower insulin costs.

Last week, Klobuchar introduced the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would require health plans to cap patient out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month.

"Americans should not have to choose between risking their lives or risking financial ruin because of the unaffordable costs of long available drugs like insulin, especially as drug manufacturers increase their revenues from insulin sales," Klobuchar said in a statement.

The legislation would dramatically lower costs for insulin users, many of whom already face significant out-of-pocket costs for other diabetes treatments.

Diabetics account for $1 of every $4 spent on health care in the U.S. and spend about $6,000 annually on insulin alone, according to the Health Care Cost Institute.

About 8.8 percent of Minnesotans have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes costs Minnesotans nearly $5 billion in medical costs each year, the American Diabetes Association reported.

"This legislation directly addresses rising insulin costs by capping out-of-pocket costs and lowering the unacceptable costs diabetics are forced to pay to receive treatment," Klobuchar added.

"It’s past time for Congress to take action and work to ensure that commonly-needed, life-saving medications are affordable and accessible to all Americans."