SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota House DFL lawmakers today held their first roundtable discussion in a series of Community Conversations to give Minnesotans an opportunity to share their concerns and ideas for improving access to insulin and addressing the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. Minnesotans who depend on insulin and are facing high costs joined legislators to discuss the next steps to solve this crisis facing far too many Minnesotans.
Representative Kristin Bahner (DFL-Maple Grove), who has a sister with Type 1 Diabetes, participated in the discussion.
“Diabetes doesn’t just impact a patient, it impacts an entire family,” Rep. Bahner remarked.
The price of insulin has tripled in the last decade, and studies indicate that 1 in 4 diabetics have resorted to rationing their insulin due to the high cost. During the last legislative session, the DFL-led Minnesota House passed the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act as part of the House Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill. Named for a Richfield resident who tragically died after being forced to ration his insulin due to the high cost of the drug, the bill would establish an emergency supply of insulin for diabetics who are unable to pay for prescription refills. Reimbursements for pharmacies would be paid through a fee on insulin manufacturers.
“Nobody should ever have to ration or skip the medication they need to survive,” Rep. Bahner continued. “I’m committed to passing the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act because everyone with Diabetes deserves the opportunity to thrive and live a full life without worrying about cost to stay alive.”
After the legislative session adjourned, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and Senate began meeting to discuss emergency access to insulin. Although some consensus was reached on the framework of an insulin assistance program, Republicans insist that it be funded by taxpayers rather than impose a fee on insulin manufacturers who are profiting from soaring prices.
Later this summer and fall, the House DFL will hold additional Community Conversations to give more Minnesotans a direct opportunity to join the dialogue over insulin prices and access.
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