Fortenberry, Craig Reintroduce Legislation to Cut Insulin Prices: Matt's Act

Press Release

Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) and Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02) offered the following statement today on their reintroduction of Matt's Act, an innovative bill to address the high price of insulin.

"Matt's Act is about one thing----fairness for persons suffering with diabetes. The harsh reality is that the cost of insulin is artificially high and ever-escalating. No workable solutions exist today for this injustice," Fortenberry said.

"Matt's Act is named for a young man from Nebraska with Type 1 diabetes. In just one month, the cost of Matt's insulin increased almost ten times between visits to the pharmacy. Twenty years ago, a vial of insulin could be bought for $30.00. Today it's $330--a staggering 1000% increase." Fortenberry added.

"Though little has changed in the product, over the past two decades, layers of bureaucracy and unnecessary costs have been added to the price of insulin. Matt's Act makes insulin prices fair for everyone by capping the price at $60 a vial and $20 a vial for those on insurance," Fortenberry added.

"In the greatest country on earth, no American should struggle to make ends meet because of prescription drug prices. Yet over the past decade, insulin prices in the United States have nearly doubled----making this lifesaving drug unaffordable for countless hardworking Americans," Representative Angie Craig said.

"Today, I'm proud to join Representative Fortenberry in a bipartisan effort to fundamentally rethink insulin pricing and to finally bring down the cost of care for the millions of Americans who suffer from diabetes," Craig added.

Source