Insulin saves lives. No American with diabetes should have to go without it | Opinion
Insulin is not optional for people with diabetes — it is a daily need. It is not a luxury or something they can delay and go without until their next paycheck. It is the medication that keeps them alive.
More than 8 million Americans living with diabetes rely on insulin and must take it every day to survive. Yet for far too long, the cost of it has forced many people in this country to make impossible decisions to choose between paying for necessities and medication they need to stay alive. No one should live with that kind of fear and uncertainty.
While progress has been made in recent years to lower insulin costs for some, too many people are still falling through the cracks. Families continue to struggle. Young adults are aging off their parents’ insurance and are struggling. Working people with high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs struggle. Millions carry the emotional and financial burden of a health care system that has too often made insulin unaffordable.
In my volunteer work with a summer camp sponsored by the American Diabetes Association for children with diabetes in the Kansas City area, I have met many kids and their families who must make difficult choices to ensure their care and survival. I am also aware of the choices and decisions the medical staff makes at the end of the camp week as to which kids and families need help with insulin for them to send the unused supplies — from insulin that has been donated by companies or purchased by the Americans with Disabilities Act — home with kids that will need it the most. The challenges are real and so frustrating to observe. Insulin, the lifesaving medication, must be made more affordable for all.
That is why the INSULIN Act matters.
It is bipartisan legislation that would help make the lifesaving medication more accessible and affordable for more Americans by limiting the out-of-pocket cost at $35 a month for people with private insurance. The bill would ensure people are not forced to ration their medication because they cannot afford it.
Insulin affordability is not a partisan issue — it affects everyone. You may know someone living with diabetes and understand the fear that comes with wondering whether they can afford the medication that keeps them alive. You may also know the economic forces that make people choose between rationing or skipping doses to pay for other essentials such as rent, food and utilities.
The INSULIN Act needs support from all members of Congress. Ask your Member of Congress to co-sponsor the INSULIN Act. Lawmakers need to hear directly from the people they represent, like me. They don’t need just statistics or policy language but instead real stories from real people whose lives are impacted every day by the cost of insulin.
That is why advocacy matters.
The American Diabetes Association has launched a national petition urging Congress to support the INSULIN Act and take action to lower insulin costs for Americans living with diabetes with private insurance. Signing the petition is a simple but powerful way for people to raise their voices and demonstrate to lawmakers that this issue cannot wait.
For me, this fight is personal. For millions of others, it is personal too.
No one should ever have to ration insulin to stretch a paycheck. No parent should have to worry whether they can afford the medication their child needs to survive. No American should be forced to choose between life and debt.
Members of Congress have an opportunity to do the right thing. Now, they must act.
Raise your voice. Support the INSULIN Act.
Don Feltham is a diabetes advocate based in Kansas City, Kansas.