Wicker, Hyde-Smith Lead Effort to Study Insulin Affordability
Miss. Senators Introduce “Insulin Affordability Data Collection Act”
November 14, 2019
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today joined U.S. Senators Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., to introduce the Insulin Affordability Data Collection Act. The bipartisan legislation would direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to complete a study of insulin affordability and the impacts higher costs have on treatment programs.
“Too many Mississippians are burdened by the high cost of their insulin,” Wicker said. “This bipartisan legislation would help policymakers understand the real cost of this lifesaving treatment as we consider solutions to improve access and affordability.”
“A more comprehensive understanding of insulin pricing should help policymakers better understand why the market is out of whack. The growing need for insulin in Mississippi and elsewhere makes the affordability question very important,” Hyde-Smith said.
The legislation would require the HHS Secretary to conduct a study that examines the impact of the affordability of insulin on individuals who are insulin-dependent. Among other provisions, the study would investigate the impact of the affordability of insulin products on:
- Adherence to insulin prescriptions;
- Rates of diabetic ketoacidosis;
- Downstream impacts of insulin adherence (including rates of dialysis treatment and end-stage renal disease); and
- Spending by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health programs on acute care episodes that could be averted by adhering to an insulin prescription.
