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Effort To Cap Insulin Costs Could Soon Be Called For A Vote

Adrian Black
/
Flickr(CC BY-NC 2.0)

Lawmakers could soon vote on a measure that would make Illinois the second state to cap insulin costs.

The legislation, aimed at keeping the drug affordable, would cap prices at $100 a month for some Illinois patients. The average price for insulin in the U.S. is about $450 a month.

The bill’s lead sponsor is Democratic State Sen. Andy Manar.

Speaking on The 21st show, Manar said the bill would not regulate what drug companies charge for insulin — but rather limit what public health plans like Medicare and Medicaid can charge patients for co-pays.

“That’s something that’s gonna have to be worked out between insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical companies, all of which have their hands in the till when it comes to driving prices through the roof,” he said.

Manar said he expects to call the bill for a vote during veto session, which begins Monday.

The proposed measure would not affect private health plans, since those are controlled by the federal government.

Listen to the full interview with Sen. Manar here.

Copyright 2021 WCBU. To see more, visit WCBU.

Christine Herman spent nine years studying chemistry before she left the bench to report on issues at the intersection of science and society. She started in radio in 2014 as a journalism graduate student at the University of Illinois and a broadcast intern at Radio Health Journal. Christine has been working at WILL since 2015.
Christine Herman