Halpin-Backing Legislation to Cap Insulin Costs, Lower Health Care Expenses for Diabetics

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In an ongoing effort to promote affordable health care, state Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, is supporting of new legislation capping insulin costs for patients with diabetes at $100 per month.

“Millions of people with diabetes in Illinois are hurt by artificially-inflated insulin costs. Setting a cap on payments for insulin will save families across the state unnecessary financial hardship,” Halpin said. “There are people who have had to ration insulin, or even skip doses because it is so expensive. That can’t be allowed to continue.”

Halpin is supporting Senate Bill 667, a new proposal seeking to cap patients’ insulin payments at $100 a month. This bill is addressing the massive spike in insulin prices; between 2002 and 2013, out-of-pocket costs for insulin increased almost 300%. There are 1.3 million adults with diabetes in Illinois, many of whom regularly rely on insulin to maintain their health and quality of life.

“Pharmaceutical companies are price gouging, plain and simple. They are blatantly profiting off of putting people managing diabetes in real danger,” Halpin said. “For my commitment to build a stronger Illinois to become a reality, we have to crack down on any bad actors who see people with this illness as business opportunities, and not patients deserving of fair treatment.”