CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) — West Virginia Delegates Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, and Jordan Hill, R-Nicholas, Chair of the House Health and Human Resources Committee will host a press conference to announce bipartisan support for legislation that would cap costs for life-saving insulin to $25 for a 30-day supply, regardless of the amount or type of insulin prescribed, to protect patients from rising insulin costs.
The press conference will take place at noon on Monday, January 20th in the Governor’s Press Conference Room of the West Virginia State Capitol (inside the Secretary of State’s office).
A brief video about the West Virginia patients and health advocates who traveled to Canada in December 2019 to purchase cheaper insulin will be shown at the beginning of the press conference.
Participants in the insulin caravan to Canada have joined together to form the “West Virginia Team for Affordable Insulin,” to increase awareness of the skyrocketing cost of insulin. The Team, along with diabetics from around the state will begin lobbying on bills that would limit co-pays for insulin. HB 4078 was the first such bill introduced.
Fleischauer gave an example from her own experience.
“I just picked up four prescriptions at Kroger last week. My co-pay was only $33.16,” she said.
“In contrast, some West Virginians who are diabetic have to pay hundreds of dollars monthly in co-pays for insulin they’ve been prescribed, not to mention the additional costs of premiums, medical supplies, and equipment. It’s shocking,” she said.
Delegate Hill agreed.
“Combating rising prescription drug costs is a bi-partisan issue. Colorado and Illinois have both succeeded in limiting insulin co-pays. In the state with the largest percentage of citizens who are diabetic, it is important that we make sure our citizens are able to afford this medicine which they need to live,” he added.
The Delegates will be joined by a number of West Virginians from several parts of the state who will share their stories about living with the increasing costs associated with having diabetes, including some families with two diabetics who must pay these extremely high prices. brief video presentation
