21 Million Americans Who Use Insulin Are Blocked From The $35 Insulin Cap As A Result Of Republicans In Congress
Elise Oberdorfer-Douglas is a resident of Atlanta, GA, and a mother of two. Her 17-year-old daughter has lived with Type I diabetes for the past nine years. Elise and her husband are both self-employed, and despite having private insurance, they have been forced to ration supplies or rely on strangers to obtain the insulin her daughter needs to survive. Elise’s story is all too familiar and demonstrates why lawmakers must extend the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 insulin cap to everyone.
Georgia Democrats, including Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-07), have been leaders on lower insulin costs, sponsoring the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would cap out-of-pocket insulin costs, not just for seniors on Medicare, but for millions of diabetics with private insurance. They are committed health care champions who are fighting for a future where quality, affordable health care is a reality for Georgians and all Americans.
Protect Our Care is highlighting the importance of lower insulin costs as part of the fortnight of action. The Inflation Reduction Act capped monthly insulin copays for seniors on Medicare — a game changer for more than three million people. But Republicans in Congress blocked a provision that would have extended the cap to people with private insurance. In a country where 80 percent of diabetics have had to go into debt in order to pay for insulin, this type of action by Republicans puts Big Pharma’s profits over real people. Now, President Biden and Democrats in Congress are fighting to extend these savings to everyone. Read Protect Our Care’s full fact sheet here.