A bill aimed at capping insulin prices has taken another step toward becoming law.
Senate Bill 667 passed in the House today with a 100-13-1 vote. The bill will now go back to the Senate to concur on changes made in the House.
39th District Representative Will Guzzardi, said that the bill is a step in the right direction, but there is more work that needs to be done.
“This bill is not a complete solution to the problem of the high cost of insulin, it’s certainly not a solution to the high cost of prescription drugs. We look forward to working on further interventions in this are, but it’s a start”
The bill would set a limit of $100 per month on co-payments for insulin for all patients, no matter what supply they need.
It would apply only to commercial insurance plans that Illinois regulates.
100th District Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer of Jacksonville said that while he voted for and supports the bill, it does not do anything to go after the real cause of the problem: price-gouging by the manufacturers of insulin.
“I think we need to go after the source., I think we need to work with the federal government, I think our Attorney General needs to work with Democrat and Republican attorney generals throughout the nation. We can go after these drug manufacturers as states if we combine together and say we are not going to allow this to happen.
You have to say, look we are watching what is going on, our constituents are effected by this, and you are going after people unfairly. I think these drugs have been around long enough that they are artificially high priced, and that is why I am going to vote yes. I am reluctant because I feel we are going after a symptom and not the cause, but we are going to go after the cause, and I am going to work with you to get there.”
Davidsmeyer said that with the full list price for a vial of insulin is being $300, someone who needs both fast-acting and long-acting insulin could be paying as much as $2,100 a month, without the $100.00 co-pay cap.
According to Illinois Department of Public Health date, approximately 1.3 million adults in Illinois have diabetes.
Illinois would be the second state in the U.S. to cap insulin prices if the bill becomes law.