The Cost of Insulin

Saying that "the cost of insulin is immorally high," Senator Matt Little, DFL-Lakeville, convened a roundtable discussion among lawmakers, physicians and impacted Minnesotans on the rising cost of insulin. The group met informally at the State Capitol Tuesday, December 11, to hear from physicians, diabetics and family members who are concerned about the expense of purchasing the life-saving drug.

Quinn Nystrom, who is living with type 1 diabetes, said, "I always remind people that insulin is not a cure for diabetes. It is our life support. It is simply what keeps me and my younger brother and seven-and-a-half million people in the Unites States alive." She told the panel that the cost of her insulin is about $300 to $400 dollars per vial, which lasts about two weeks. The same amount could be purchased for $50 dollars in Canada and about $45 dollars in Mexico, she explained.

"We went through the same kind of dialog last year...the pharmaceutical companies and their lying about opioids, that they were useful and they weren't addictive, and they didn't even come to the meetings," said Senator Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, in reference to the legislative efforts to combat opioid addiction in Minnesota. He said the high cost of insulin "is clearly wrong...for us to do nothing in the face of what we have known for some time would be just wrong."

"No one should have to die because they are waiting for their paycheck," said Little. He said that one initial effort would be to ensure that emergency insulin is available for diabetics who need it. He said that transparency is also needed in the manufacturing, distribution and sale of insulin, and "we need to be aggressive this session, and we need to control the cost of insulin."