Kildee Invites Mid-Michigan Resident with Diabetes as Guest to State of the Union

Congressman Dan Kildee, Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus, has invited Goodrich resident Jill Verdier to be his virtual guest at tomorrow's State of the Union address. Verdier, who was born and raised in Michigan and has type-1 diabetes, works in higher education and is a patient advocate. Due to the pandemic, Verdier will join Congressman Kildee virtually for the President's address.

"I am honored to have Jill Verdier as my guest to President Biden's State of the Union address. Michiganders like Jill are paying too much for insulin. No one should have to choose between taking their medication and putting food on the table. At a time when Big Pharma is making record profits, Congress must do more to lower costs," Congressman Kildee said. "As a father of a type-1 diabetic, I have seen first-hand how the high price of prescription drugs like insulin affects families. That's why I've introduced new legislation to make insulin affordable for Michigan families and seniors, and lower costs for constituents like Jill."

Verdier lives with diabetes and currently accesses health insurance through her employer. Verdier's insulin costs $300 per vial and she takes three vials per month. While Verdier currently has good health insurance, she often worries about what a change in her insurance would mean for her and her family. "Access to insulin is something I think about every single day," Verdier said. "The high cost of insulin influences how my family makes decisions, financially and otherwise, because there is no other drug that does what insulin does. For myself, and other people with this disease, insulin is just like air; we have to have it."

In Michigan, it is estimated that one in 10 people have a form of diabetes. The average sticker price for a month's supply of insulin is about $375, but for some, it can be as high as $1,000 a month because they need to take more. Insulin was discovered over 100 years ago. Since then, little about insulin has changed, but in recent decades its price has skyrocketed. As a result, Americans pay five to 10 times more for insulin than patients in other developed countries, and one in four American diabetics have reported skimping on their prescribed medicine because of its cost, especially during the pandemic.

"The American Diabetes Association, the leading advocate for an insulin out-of-pocket patient co-pay cap, is excited to endorse the Affordable Insulin Now Act," said Lisa Murdock, Chief Advocacy Officer of the American Diabetes Association. "The bill's $35 monthly out-of-pocket cap on insulin could be life-changing for the millions of Americans with diabetes who use insulin. This legislation is especially important for the one in four individuals with diabetes who were forced to ration their insulin during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increasing cost."

Congressman Kildee continues to work to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs for Michigan families. Congressman Kildee previously voted for H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act, to allow Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies and health care costs for all Americans, expand Medicare coverage to include hearing care and cap the cost of insulin. In 2019, Congressman Kildee voted for the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, legislation to lower the price of prescription drugs and help mid-Michigan patients and seniors access high-quality, affordable health care.

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