A bipartisan group of senators has reached a deal to cap the price of insulin at $35, marking a potential breakthrough after years of negotiations over reducing costs for Americans living with diabetes.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said the agreement represents a major step forward as she pushes to pass legislation before retiring from Congress, Semafor reported on Wednesday.
"I would really like to be able to leave the Senate thinking that we had helped to address insulin costs for a lot of Americans," Shaheen said. "This is the most expensive chronic disease."
Shaheen is working with Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and John Kennedy, R-La., who previously backed competing proposals but have now reached a compromise.
The legislation would extend a $35 cap on insulin, with a pilot program in 10 states allowing uninsured individuals to purchase insulin at the reduced price.
The Health and Human Services Department would select those states based on the number of newly diagnosed diabetes patients without insurance.
Shaheen said the group is seeking additional co-sponsors and hopes to attach the measure to must-pass legislation later this year.
The effort will require support from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and President Donald Trump.
"This is something that he should support. Because it is 'affordability.' It's an issue that affects millions of Americans, and even more when you add in all of the people affected by the disease," Shaheen said. "You've got to be able to compromise."
Warnock said the proposal would help expand access through community health centers.
"It provides a pathway of funding to community health centers, so they can continue reaching uninsured people who need affordable insulin," Warnock said.
Kennedy pointed to the financial strain on families in his state.
"For a whole lot of families in Louisiana, one of the biggest worries is how they're going to pay for life-saving medication like insulin," Kennedy said.
Collins said high costs have forced some patients to ration insulin.
"I have heard far too many stories from people in Maine and across the country who have been forced to ration their insulin because of the cost, and that is simply unacceptable," Collins said.
Shaheen said earlier bipartisan efforts stalled in 2022 after disagreements tied to the Inflation Reduction Act.
"The Republicans got p***ed, to be honest. They got really angry. And so the idea that they were going to move forward on this bipartisan bill went down the tubes," Shaheen said. "It's been challenging to get it back on the table."
Despite past tensions, Shaheen said there is growing momentum behind the new agreement.
"There is a real interest in this issue," Shaheen said. "I think we're going to get there."
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