Didech Cracks Down on Big Pharma, Caps Insulin Costs

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In response to dreadful stories of Americans being forced to ration their insulin due to skyrocketing medication costs, state Rep. Dan Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, cracked down on drug manufacturers by capping out-of-pocket costs at $100 per month.

“It is heartbreaking to read stories about young people and parents dying because they couldn’t afford their insulin, even with insurance,” Didech said. “This legislation is about putting the well-being of every Illinoisan with diabetes before the profits of multinational pharmaceutical companies.”

Didech voted to pass Senate Bill 667, which caps insulin out-of-pocket costs at $100 per month, regardless of the amount that an insurer pays. Roughly 1.3 million Illinoisans use insulin to manage their diabetes, yet the price of this lifesaving medication has tripled over the last decade.  According to the Yale School of Medicine, one in four Americans with diabetes are currently forced to ration their insulin because of inhumane costs. Earlier this year, CNN reported that a teenager with diabetes had reduced his insulin intake by a third to try to save his underemployed parents hundreds of dollars every month. The Didech-backed measure passed both houses and now heads to the governor for consideration.

This spring, Didech was a strong voice for Public 101-0281, which makes Illinois the first state in the nation to require insurance companies to cover epinephrine injectors or “Epi-pens” for children. The Didech-backed law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

“Access to health care is a human right,” Didech said. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done this year to make Illinois a leader in the fight for affordable, quality health care.”