The U.S. House of Representatives today passed companion legislation to Senator Reverend Warnock’s Affordable Insulin Now Actthat would cap the costs of insulin at $35 a month

Senator Reverend Warnock: “I introduced the Affordable Insulin Now Act, and I’m glad the House took a major step today toward making my bill the law of the land. The bill now comes to the Senate, and I’m going to use every tool at my disposal to get it across the finish line”

On Wednesday, Senator Reverend Warnock called on the House to pass his legislation and for the Senate to immediately take it up to provide relief to many of the more than 1 million Georgians with diabetes

Previously, the Senator spoke with Georgians in-person at Little Five Points Pharmacy in Atlanta and virtually last month about how capping insulin at $35 a month will help save lives and save Georgians money

Senator Reverend Warnock: “If you need insulin, you need insulin. It’s not a mere inconvenience if you can’t have access to it”

ICYMI from WALB, via Gray TV: “Senate support for an insulin price cap gaining momentum”

ICYMI from the AJC: “Insulin costs have sky-rocketed; Warnock-sponsored bill would cap co-pays”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Warnock lauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing his Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would cap the out-of-pocket costs for insulin and insulin products at $35 a month. Senator Warnock had previously called on the House to take up and pass his legislation, and has urged the Senate to follow the House’s suit by bringing the bill to the floor that would lower insulin costs for many of the more than 37 million Americans—including more than 1 million Georgians—living with diabetes. 

“If you need insulin, you need insulin. It’s not a mere inconvenience if you can’t have access to it. And for the hard-working families at my church and ordinary folks that I know, people are paying record prices at the same time pharmaceutical companies are making record profits,” said Senator Reverend Warnock following the bill’s passage in the House.“That’s why I introduced the Affordable Insulin Now Act, and I’m glad the House took a major step today toward making my bill the law of the land. The bill now comes to the Senate, and I’m going to use every tool at my disposal to get it across the finish line.”

After the bill passed, Senator Warnock joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, at a virtual roundtable where insulin users and parents from Georgia and Washington state discussed their fight to lower the cost of life-saving prescription drugs for patients—including by bringing down insulin costs for Georgians and Americans with living with diabetes. Leslie Dach, chair of national health care advocacy organization, also discussed the importance of lowering prescription drug costs to make health care more affordable.

During the event, Senator Reverend Warnock underscored the urgent need to bring down prescription drug costs for patients, highlighting his bold legislation to do exactly that, and made clear that—especially given bipartisan interest in the issue—he is determined to find a path to lower the cost of insulin so that everyone who needs the drug can afford it.

During Thursday’s roundtable, Senators Warnock and Murray heard from constituents who shared how the exorbitant cost of insulin—which has tripled in the last decade—forces them to make unacceptable sacrifices and tradeoffs. 

“I am a 13-year-old Georgia public school teacher and the proud mom of three boys who have significant medical issues,” said Shannon Bjorneby, a mother from Darien, GA whose son was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.“Our type 1 journey started last summer when my children went for their yearly well child checkups and my son James was officially diagnosed with type one diabetes. I was very fortunate that I had put the full amount of money into my health savings account the previous year, and I was able to afford the $900 copays to let him come home from the hospital. That is a lot for a family like mine on a public school teacher salary. Our summer plans were completely disrupted. We did not go on our annual vacation. The children did not get their new prescription eyeglasses. We didn’t get wisdom teeth out and braces put on because when it comes to prescription eyeglasses or insulin, insulin is going to win out every time.”

“As Americans, we shouldn’t have to choose between the roof over our heads, our children’s braces or eyeglasses, food, or insulin to keep a loved one alive,” Shannon added.

In addition to pressing the Senate to take up his legislation, for weeks Senator Warnock has been in regular contact with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to push for a bipartisan deal to lower insulin costs for Georgians that includes his proposal to cap out-of-pocket costs at $35 a month. Senator Warnock has spoken with Senator Collins (R-ME) and met with Senator Shaheen (D-NH) multiple times to ensure any bipartisan insulin proposal also includes his critical provision to cap out-of-pocket costs, and is pleased an agreement has been reached in principle to include his bill in any future bipartisan insulin legislation.

“Costs for prescription drugs like insulin have skyrocketed. And it’s time for Congress to do something about that—to act to lower the costs of this lifesaving drug and others for the people who need them,” Senator Reverend Warnock added, calling on his Senate colleagues to support his proposal and address the high costs of insulin.

###