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Tennessee lawmaker pushing to make insulin more affordable

Posted at 6:22 AM, Jan 21, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-21 08:02:38-05

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sen. Katrina Robinson (D – Memphis) is pushing to make insulin more affordable for the hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans living with diabetes.

With one in four diabetics reporting underusing insulin because of its high cost, Sen. Katrina Robinson has introduced a bill to help change that. The bill would put a cap on the price of insulin for insured Tennesseans.

It would require health insurance providers charge no more than $100 for a 30-day supply of insulin for covered patients.

The bill would also require the department of health and the division of consumer affairs to look into the pricing of prescription insulin and report what they find out by this coming November.

Accounting for inflation, prices have risen by a whopping 555% over the last 14 years.

Tennessee ranks 45th in the nation for the number of people living with diabetes, with 650,000 diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated 250,000 who are living with it and don’t know.