Oregon lawmaker’s bill targets soaring insulin prices

Would cap insulin co-pays at $100 a month

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Insulin is a matter of life and death for diabetics; there is no alternative medication that can be substituted for insulin. Of great concern to state Rep. Sheri Schouten (D-Beaverton) is the dramatic increase in insulin prices—the average price of insulin nearly tripled between 2002 and 2013.

That is why she has introduced House Bill 4073, the Oregon Insulin Affordability Act, which will cap insulin co-pays at $100 per month, regardless of the number of vials needed, lowering the cost of insulin for many Oregonians who rely on it to stay alive.

A 2018 American Diabetes Association survey showed that individuals with diabetes who face high out-of-pocket costs are forced to make decisions about their insulin regimen that can have damaging consequences to their health, including rationing or foregoing insulin doses to reduce costs. 

The ADA worked with the sponsor of the first-in-the-nation insulin co-pay cap law in Colorado and is working closely with Rep. Schouten to ensure HB 4073 is enacted in Oregon. 

“The American Diabetes Association believes that no individual in need of insulin should ever go without it due to prohibitive costs. We’re pleased Rep. Schouten is taking action to make insulin more affordable to Oregonians,” said Laura Keller, director of state government affairs at the American Diabetes Association.

HB 4073 is especially meaningful for Rep. Schouten. “My mother was a Type 1 diabetic. As a kid, she used to send me to the corner pharmacy with a small handful of coins to buy her insulin,” she said. “Quite simply, insulin was affordable. Sadly, that is no longer the case for far too many of our neighbors. This is one thing we can do to push back on that trend.”   

For more information about this legislation, please contact Rep. Schouten’s office at: Rep.SheriSchouten@oregonlegislature.gov.

If you are struggling to pay for insulin or know someone who is, ADA has resources to help—visit InsulinHelp.org.