Bill to cap the cost of insulin at $35 passes in Oregon Senate
The Oregon Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would cap the cost of insulin at $35 and prevent those with chronic illnesses and disabilities from facing higher costs for medications.
From 2014 to 2019 the cost of insulin rose 55% nationwide, which had a large impact on lower-income individuals, especially seniors, according to a 2020 study.
Senate Bill 1508, sponsored by Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, aims to increase access to insulin and other life-saving medications for all Oregonians, regardless of health or disability status.
The bill would ensure Oregonians covered by a private insurance plan, Medicare or the Oregon Health Plan would not be charged more than $35 for a 30-day supply of insulin and $105 for a 90-day supply.
It also would prevent the Health Evidence Review Commission and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee from using the Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) formula to determine coverage for those covered by Medicaid and Medicare.
The QALY formula places a lower value on treatments that extend the lives of people living with chronic illnesses and disabilities, which makes it more difficult for those people to get the care and medications they need.
“No Oregonian should suffer because they can’t afford basic, life-saving medication,” said Patterson. “No Oregonian should have to ration their medication or choose between paying for prescriptions or basic necessities like food or housing.”
The bill will move to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Sydney Wyatt covers healthcare inequities in the Mid-Willamette Valley for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions, and tips to her at SWyatt@gannett.com, (503) 399-6613, or on Twitter @sydney_elise44. The Statesman Journal’s coverage of healthcare inequities is funded in part by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust , which seeks to strengthen the cultural, social, educational, and spiritual base of the Pacific Northwest through capacity-building investments in the nonprofit sector.