For more than two decades as a pharmacist in New Orleans East, I have seen how difficult it can be for patients to afford the insulin they need to survive. Some have told me they take only half their prescribed dose to make a vial last longer. That is not a budgeting strategy; it is a medical emergency waiting to happen.
People across Louisiana are being forced to choose between insulin, utility bills, groceries and gas. As a heart health advocate, I also know that the stress of affording lifesaving medication can place an additional burden on people who are already managing diabetes.
Congress can help by passing the bipartisan Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now Act of 2026. The INSULIN Act would cap monthly out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 for people with private insurance and establish a pilot program to provide low-cost insulin to uninsured patients.
I thank U.S. Sen. John Kennedy for supporting this legislation and urge other elected officials to help move it forward.
Insulin is not a luxury. Congress must act so that no Louisianan has to ration the medication that keeps them alive.
ALISHA REED
New Orleans