O'Halleran Votes to Cap Out-of-Pocket Costs for Insulin

Statement

Today, Congressman Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01) voted to pass the Affordable Insulin Now Act, legislation to cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin at no more than $35 per month in Medicare Part D and commercial health insurance.

"As the costs of prescription drugs continue to skyrocket, I've heard from countless Arizonans who struggle to afford the insulin they need--far too many even forced to skip or cut back on doses in order to put food on the table," said O'Halleran. "Today, we took action to cap these unreasonable costs for the nearly 600,000 Arizonans living with diabetes, ensuring all who need this life-saving medication, can afford it."

More than 37 million Americans have diabetes, and Arizona is home to over 1.35 million Medicare beneficiaries. This legislation will cut costs for one-third of Medicare beneficiaries and over 7 million Americans who rely on insulin to maintain their health and well-being. Among individuals with private insurance, half would save at least $19 per month and a quarter would save at least $42 per month.

Last year, O'Halleran voted to pass a similar initiative under the Build Back Better Act.

Support from Arizonans in the First District:

"I recently had to start taking insulin. I was surprised to find that Medicare did not cover the brand of insulin my doctor prescribed. So my out-of-pocket cost for the first month was $86. I can afford to pay $1,000 a year for insulin, but paying that much after paying into Medicare for all my working life was a shock. I'm glad Congressman O'Halleran stuck with it and got this bill passed." -- Eric, Pinetop

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