Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law that will limit copays for a 30-day supply of insulin to $35.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is capping the price of insulin to help the millions of Californians diagnosed with diabetes.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law that will limit copays for a 30-day supply of insulin to $35.
A 2022 survey by CharityRx found 79% of people surveyed said insulin posed a financial difficulty for either them personally or for someone in their care. The survey also found that 4 in 5 people had taken on credit card debt to pay for insulin.
“If we believe healthcare is a right — as we should — we have to make it affordable for everyone. This law ensures no family will be forced to choose between buying insulin and putting food on the table in California again,” said the bill’s author, Sen. Scott Wiener, in a statement.
In 2023, Newsom vetoed a previous version of Wiener’s bill, citing CalRx — a new state-run program to produce its own supply of prescription drugs, such as insulin — as a primary reason in his veto message.
However, CalMatters reported back in March of this year that the creation of CalRX’s insulin is behind schedule and could be several years before it’s delivered to Californians.
This year’s version, which passed through the Capitol with strong bipartisan support, builds on the federal government’s cap on insulin copays for Medicare recipients by expanding it to those on private insurance.
“I have always seen the potential burden on patients just because they were not able to afford the bill,” said Dr. Shagun Bindlish, scientific chair of the Northern California chapter of the American Diabetes Association.
Bindlish says, in her practice, she’s seen firsthand that people have to decide between paying for insulin and food.
She explains that if people go without insulin, it can have drastic effects, and the medicine is a “lifeline for many people.”
Dr. Clint Hopkins, a pharmacist from Pucci’s Pharmacy, views the new law as a win for his customers, some of whom have had to make the difficult decision to forgo their insulin due to the high cost.
“(The law) will hopefully allow us to provide insulin to more patients, with less barriers,” Hopkins said.
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