- Tiffany Richardson is a senior fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at Vanderbilt University.
Do you remember all the uproar about skyrocketing insulin prices and the horrific impact these prices had on those living with diabetes?
Well, for Michael Hague, a 62-year-old man from East Tennessee, that problem still exists. He is still forced to ration his insulin because of its exorbitant cost. There hasn’t been much improvement in increasing insulin affordability and accessibility.
Today, I am asking you to stand behind the ideals you were elected upon: healthcare being a fundamental human right.
Michael needs you to support recent federal legislation proposing to prohibit co-payments for insulin under Medicaid and Medicare prescription drug benefits.
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Lawmakers need to prioritize the insulin health crisis
This legislation entitled the Insulin Access for All Act of 2021 would relieve financial and psychological burdens on more than 50,000 Tennesseans that use insulin to treat their diabetes.
On average, someone is diagnosed with diabetes every 21 seconds. Diabetes rates are on the rise globally. Unfortunately, Tennessee is leading the charge in these diagnosis rates.
About 13%, or more than 650,000 Tennesseans, have been diagnosed with diabetes. Because of the unjustifiably rising costs of insulin. Some are forced to forgo essentials such as groceries for their families. Some have resulted in selling the roof over their heads in order to afford a life-saving drug that’s needed on a daily basis.
Low-income and elderly populations— that Medicare and Medicaid serve— are at the greatest risk of being affected by these inexcusably surging prices.
Let’s revisit Michael’s story to better showcase the struggle these 650,000 Tennesseans face. Michael needs to inject insulin upwards of seven times a day due to of his diabetes. He must make a conscious decision each time he starts to feel a little woozy from high blood sugar levels.
He asks himself whether or not this needs to be the time to ration his insulin because he’s running low and cannot afford more for the month. Without insulin, Michael and many others would succumb to a painful, drawn-out and most importantly—unnecessary death.
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What has Tennessee recently done to increase insulin affordability and accessibility?
Last year, Tennessee legislators introduced a new bill that sought to put a $100 cap on the amount that would pay for a 30-day insulin supply. This legislation is still undergoing discussion and is not in effect.
Tennessee needs to follow the example set by other states throughout the country and pass bills that are stuck behind bureaucracy’s red tape to help those living with diabetes.
The Insulin Access for All Act of 2021 is needed to provide more accessible and affordable insulin for Tennesseans. This new federal legislation is an essential and pressing solution to get a life-saving therapeutic into the hands of diabetes patients without the financial and psychological burdens I’ve discussed here.
Roughly 10 people were diagnosed with diabetes during the course of our discussion alone.
How many of those people are going to go without insulin today? Tennesee lawmakers need to support legislation for their constituency’s diabetic needs.
Tiffany Richardson is a senior fifth-year Ph.D. candidate, diabetes researcher, and educator at Vanderbilt University and Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
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