Villa Initiative to Cap Insulin Costs Heads to Governor’s Desk

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To protect the health and wellness of individuals living with diabetes, state Rep. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, recently passed legislation to cap the monthly co-payment that patients can be charged for their insulin prescription.

“The price markup we have seen in recent years on insulin and other prescription drugs is wrong; diabetic individuals should not be forced to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for lifesaving medications,” said Villa. “The use of insulin by many diabetic individuals is nonnegotiable because they need it to survive, and pharmaceutical companies exploit this situation by price gouging consumers.”

Villa passed Senate Bill 667, which passed with overwhelming support. It would ensure individuals that need prescription insulin do not face large out-of-pocket costs by capping the co-pay for insulin at $100 per month. This measure comes in response to the massive spike in insulin prices, which between 2002 and 2013, increased nearly 300%. There are 1.3 million adult diabetics in Illinois, many of whom regularly rely on insulin to maintain their health and quality of life. Villa’s measure now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

“Big drug companies have been given free rule to put profits over people, and they take advantage of individuals that rely upon drugs like insulin for survival,” continued Villa. “I will continue fighting for affordable health care and reining in prescription drug costs as a part of my continued commitment to build a stronger Illinois.”

For more information, please contact Rep. Villa’s constituent service office at 630-326-9319 or at StateRepKarinaVilla@gmail.com.