Today, Senator Reverend Warnock spoke on the Senate floor uplifting the findings of his newly released white paper on “Insulin Deserts” and the need for a federal law to lower high insulin costs
The Senator joined Senator Kennedy in releasing a new white paper on World Diabetes Day, November 14th
The new report analyzes county-level data across the country to examine counties with both high rates of uninsured people and high rates of diabetes – which the Senators have termed “Insulin Deserts”
Senator Reverend Warnock: “For the first time, this new analysis paints a clear picture of who is needlessly suffering, and points to the urgency of passing federal legislation that ensures patients with and without insurance have access to affordable insulin”
ICYMI from USA Today: More than 800 U.S. counties are ‘insulin deserts.’ How these senators want to help Americans with diabetes
WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock discusses his new bipartisan insulin report authored with Republican Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) on the Senate floor – DOWNLOAD FULL VIDEO HERE
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spoke on the Senate floor uplifting the findings of his newly released bipartisan white paper on “Insulin Deserts” and the need for a federal law to lower high insulin costs. The white paper was co-authored by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), who is also co-leading the universal $35 insulin cost cap effort with Senator Warnock, and analyzes county-level data across the country to examine counties with both high rates of uninsured people and high rates of diabetes – which the Senators have termed “Insulin Deserts.” Senator Kennedy also joined Senator Warnock on the Senate floor to speak about the report and the importance of passing federal insulin co-pay cap legislation that benefits the insured and the uninsured.
The report finds that 813 counties—just over a quarter of the nation’s counties—are Insulin Deserts, and most of these counties are concentrated in the South and especially the southeast, exacerbating poor health outcomes across the region. This white paper is the first published report that analyzes both counties with high rates of uninsured people and high diabetes prevalence, as well as why Americans in these communities remain vulnerable despite state and federal progress on reducing the cost of insulin.
“Insulin should not be expensive. It certainly shouldn’t be unaffordable,” said Senator Reverend Warnock on the Senate floor. “For the first time, this new analysis paints a clear picture of who is needlessly suffering, and points to the urgency of passing federal legislation that ensures patients with and without insurance have access to affordable insulin.”
Key excerpts from Senator Reverend Warnock’s floor remarks, as prepared:
“This new white paper, for the first time, takes a comprehensive look to learn more about who and where these people are. What we found in our original analysis is that there are more than 800 counties across the country where you see the tragic convergence of high rates of uninsured people and prevalence of diabetes. We call these counties ‘Insulin Deserts.’ These 813 Insulin Deserts are in the top half of counties across the country for both their percentage of individuals who are uninsured and for diabetes prevalence. Over 100 of these Insulin Desert counties are in my home state of Georgia.”
“Over 75 million non-elderly people live in Insulin Deserts. That includes more than 12 million Americans who are uninsured. In fact, among non-elderly individuals, Insulin Deserts have nearly double the percentage of uninsured residents as non-Deserts. Our analysis shows these Insulin Deserts are concentrated in the South and specifically the Southeast. But it also shows that there are Insulin Deserts all over the country—from Washington state to Texas to North Dakota to Florida to New Jersey. This is a national problem.”
“What this new white paper illustrates is that even with the steps private industry has taken to lower insulin costs—which are good steps that many of us in Congress pressed them to do, but are still voluntary and could be rescinded at any time; even with the steps more than twenty states have taken to institute state-level insulin co-pay caps; even with our success in lowering out-of-pocket insulin costs for Medicare beneficiaries—there are still millions of Americans in communities across our country who are being left behind.”
“But even when we look past the uninsured, we know that when we include those Americans with private insurance, the total number of Americans who are left vulnerable to potential spikes in insulin prices jumps to some 2.75 million. Insulin should not be expensive. It certainly shouldn’t be unaffordable. For the first time, this new analysis paints a clear picture of who is needlessly suffering, and points to the urgency of passing federal legislation that ensures patients with and without insurance have access to affordable insulin.”
“Senator Kennedy and I have been working to build support for our legislation, which we’ve committed will be completely paid for, and I’m proud that support for our plan has continued to grow. I’m proud our bipartisan bill has the support of a broad coalition of Senators from both sides of the aisle, from Senators Fetterman to Peters to Hawley to Vance to Warren to Casey to Britt to Tuberville to Braun to Rosen—and the list keeps growing.”
“I want to highlight a story from a Georgian included in the report that sums up the challenge facing millions of diabetic Americans and speaks to why Congress needs to act—a woman from North Georgia shared the following: ‘I have suffered with [diabetes] since the age of 11. [The] type of insulin that costs me hundreds of dollars every month at the pharmacy was released to market the year before I was diagnosed. I bought a vial in 1997 without insurance and it cost me $18. This insulin has not changed since then but now costs hundreds of dollars. Something needs to be done to ensure we who depend on this life sustaining medicine can continue to afford it. We will literally die in a matter of days without it. It is not a matter of choice.’ M. Chair, that story says it all.”
[DOWNLOAD Senator Reverend Warnock’s full floor remarks HERE.]
View Senator Reverend Warnock’s floor remarks below, as prepared:
“M. Chair: There are several important domestic and international matters before us that require urgent attention, not least of which is the need to find a bipartisan path to keep the federal government open and funded within the next three days to prevent a national economic calamity.
“But today—on World Diabetes Day—I rise to address another pressing issue that I believe also requires our timely action.
“M. Chair, I want to uplift the findings of my new bipartisan white paper that shines a light on the urgent need for Congress to finally address the high costs of insulin and pass federal legislation to cap the costs of insulin for everyone who needs it.
“This report is issued jointly today from my office, in collaboration with my partner in this work, my friend, the Senator from Louisiana, John Kennedy.
“Senator Kennedy and I have been working to address the high costs of insulin because this is a problem that is acute in our states.
“Over 12 percent of adults in my home state of Georgia are diabetic. And in Louisiana, that number climbs to over 14 percent.
“And many of these are people who cannot afford access to this life-saving drug.
“This is what we hear from the people in our states, but this new white paper, for the first time, takes a comprehensive look to learn more about who and where these people are.
“What we found in our original analysis is that there are more than 800 counties across the country where you see the tragic convergence of high rates of uninsured people and prevalence of diabetes. We call these counties “Insulin Deserts.”
“These 813 Insulin Deserts are in the top half of counties across the country for both their percentage of individuals who are uninsured and for diabetes prevalence. Over 100 of these Insulin Desert counties are in my home state of Georgia.
“Over 75 million non-elderly people live in Insulin Deserts. That includes more than 12 million Americans who are uninsured. In fact, among non-elderly individuals, Insulin Deserts have nearly double the percentage of uninsured residents as non-Deserts.
“Our analysis shows these Insulin Deserts are concentrated in the South and specifically the Southeast. But it also shows that there are Insulin Deserts all over the country—from Washington state to Texas to North Dakota to Florida to New Jersey. This is a national problem.
“And who are the people in these Insulin Deserts?
“Our analysis confirmed what we all know and fear—as compared to uninsured folks in other parts of the country, uninsured Americans in Insulin Deserts are:
- more likely to fall under the federal poverty line than their counterparts in non-Deserts;
- less likely to be college graduates than uninsured Americans in non-Deserts;
- more likely to be people of color than uninsured Americans in non-Deserts—in fact, in 2019 Black Americans were twice as likely as non-Hispanic white Americans to die from diabetes; and
- Uninsured Americans in Insulin Deserts are less likely to have access to sufficient internet than uninsured Americans in non-Deserts—making it difficult for them to access patient assistance programs offered online by insulin manufacturers.
“We know the challenges that uninsured people experience when it comes to accessing health care. This report deals with the uninsured, people who are diabetics, and the convergence of those two things. So, M. Chair, what does this all mean?
“What this new white paper illustrates is that even with the steps private industry has taken to lower insulin costs—which are good steps that many of us in Congress pressed them to do, but are still voluntary and could be rescinded at any time…
“Even with the steps more than twenty states have taken to institute state-level insulin co-pay caps…
“Even with our success in lowering out-of-pocket insulin costs for Medicare beneficiaries, there are still millions of Americans in communities across our country who are being left behind.
“According to the Department of Health and Human Services, in 2019, uninsured people with diabetes spent close to $1,000 on insulin alone. We know that number includes the 246,000 uninsured Americans who use insulin, every year, and we know that number rises to more than 540,000 Americans when we include those who experience a lapse in coverage.
“But even when we look past the uninsured, we know that when we include those Americans with private insurance, the total number of Americans who are left vulnerable to potential spikes in insulin prices jumps to some 2.75 million.
“Insulin should not be expensive. It certainly shouldn’t be unaffordable. For the first time, this new analysis paints a clear picture of who is needlessly suffering, and points to the urgency of passing federal legislation that ensures patients with and without insurance have access to affordable insulin.
“We know what happens when people can’t afford their insulin. We know 1 in 4 diabetics ration their insulin because they can’t afford it. As a pastor, I’ve counseled families who have had to deal with the health consequences of untreated diabetes.
“And we know that every year, federal and state government spending on hospitalizations related to complications from diabetes totals more than $11 billion dollars. That’s more money than it would cost to cap the cost of insulin for everyone who needs it.
“There are many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who care about this issue and have long been working to make insulin more affordable for diabetics.
“I want to commend my colleagues, Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Susan Collins, for their leadership over the years that has helped keep this issue on Washington’s front burner. I look forward to our continued partnership in the coming months on this issue.
“M. Chair, I was proud that last year this chamber passed a provision from my legislation, the Affordable Insulin Now Act, that was signed into law as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Since January 1, that provision has been saving our seniors money by capping out-of-pocket insulin costs at no more than $35 a month for Medicare recipients.
“And M. Chair, my original Affordable Insulin Now Act included a $35-a-month insulin copay cap for patients on private insurance, and it almost passed this chamber, as well.
“We weren’t successful in getting that provision over the finish line, but I was proud earlier this year to introduce a new, bipartisan version of the Affordable Insulin Now Act with Senator Kennedy that would finish the work we started by capping insulin costs at $35-a-month for insured and uninsured Americans.
“Since then, Senator Kennedy and I have been working to build support for our legislation, which we’ve committed will be completely paid for, and I’m proud that support for our plan has continued to grow.
“I’m proud our bipartisan bill has the support of a broad coalition of Senators from both sides of the aisle, from Senators Fetterman to Peters to Hawley to Vance to Warren to Casey to Britt to Tuberville to Braun to Rosen—and the list keeps growing.
“Our bipartisan plan to lower insulin costs for the insured and uninsured also has the support of organizations like the American Diabetes Association, the American College of Physicians, Protect Our Care and First Focus Campaign for Children.
“So, on World Diabetes Day I encourage all my colleagues to read and digest this new report, which drives home the work we should be focused on for the more than 7 million Americans with diabetes who use insulin. And reminds us who we leave behind when we fail to act.
“In closing, I want to highlight a story from a Georgian included in the report that sums up the challenge facing millions of diabetic Americans and speaks to why Congress needs to act—a woman from North Georgia shared the following:
‘I have suffered with [diabetes] since the age of 11. [The] type of insulin that costs me hundreds of dollars every month at the pharmacy was released to market the year before I was diagnosed. I bought a vial in 1997 without insurance and it cost me $18. This insulin has not changed since then but now costs hundreds of dollars. Something needs to be done to ensure we who depend on this life sustaining medicine can continue to afford it. We will literally die in a matter of days without it. It is not a matter of choice.’
“M. Chair, that story says it all. The patent for insulin was sold for $1 more than 100 years ago. Now insulin is ten times more expensive in the United States than it is in other countries.
“As I close, and no one believes a Baptist preacher when he says, “as I close,” I want to thank the dedicated public servants who work in my office, especially Gabi Vesey, Annie Wang, and Harper Melnick, for their work on this report.
“People who need insulin really need it—it’s not a matter of choice. And Congress can make a difference by passing my bipartisan bill with Senator Kennedy that will cap out-of-pocket costs of insulin users whether they have insurance or not.
“I urge my colleagues to prioritize this work as we handle the host of other vital issues that require this body’s attention. Thank you, M. Chair—I yield the floor.
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