Bill would reduce the cost of insulin for American patients

Diabetes treatment has come a long way in the last 15 years. But that does not mean patients are living healthier lives.

Ted Rudich, who lives in the Naples area, said it was not easy to hear when his son, Zachary, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes over a year ago.

“Tough day,” said Rudich, with pain across his face. “Sorry.”

But, Rudich is taking action. He said it is imperative to be advocates on an issue affecting so many. Rudich travels to Washington, D.C. as he advocates for his son while fighting for more affordable access to treatment for all Americans.

It is an issue Dr. Pooyan Kazemian, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, said is getting worse.

Dr. Kazemian told WINK News we need better approaches to diabetes care delivery. The majority of young adults, women or non-white patients they look at are not keeping healthy blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Poor access to health care, expensive insurance and high drug costs are the main impediments.

Now, Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, wants to decrease patients that ration their supply of insulin. “Or even more troubling,” Collins said, “skip doses altogether to make their insulin last longer because of the price.”

It is called the Insulin Price Reduction Act.

The bill was introduced in July. While we will be watching it, GovTrack predicts it has a 1% chance of becoming law. However, if approved, it would lower the cost of insulin in America. It is a solution Dr. Kazemian said we need.

“By making healthcare more affordable and accessible,” Dr. Kazemian said, “we can take an important step toward improving diabetes outcomes in the United States.”

Rudich said he would not give up on that right.

“People should care,” Rudich said, “because more and more people are being diagnosed.”