KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An insulin maker responsible for about 30% of the nation’s insulin announced it is capping costs at $35.
Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks said in a press call Wednesday he believes "patients should have a consistent and lower cost experience at the pharmacy counter," per NBC News.
The $35 out-of-pocket maximum is now consistent with Medicare Part D rates after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, taking effect at the beginning of the year.
“Well, I was just thrilled,” said diabetic Julie Cogley. “[I] literally cried the day I heard it because it’s been a huge worry.”
She says the monthly stress of wondering how she would pay for an insulin pen if her doctor’s office didn’t have samples was impacting her well-being.
Cogley cut cable and other activities to make sure she could receive her medication.
“You don’t do a lot of things you might [have] used to do because you don’t have that resource, and insulin isn’t something you can go without for a while,” she said.
In an effort to spur change, she spent hours taking surveys and writing her congresspeople to make them aware of the struggle millions of Americans face.
“I think it is important for the people to know what it really looks like in the life of a real person, and I think that helps it translate as congresspeople are trying to do their jobs,” Cogley said.
Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids, D-District 3, pushed for the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
She says the focus is now on lowering costs for everyone, which President Biden addressed in his State of the Union speech.
Davids encouraged her constituents who are on Medicare to evaluate their current plan and to participate in ongoing open enrollment if they need to make changes.
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