Limits on insulin costs revived in push for Senate action
ABC News
Legislation to limit insulin costs for people with diabetes is getting a new push in the Senate
WASHINGTON -- Legislation to limit insulin costs for people with diabetes is getting revived in the Senate. Democrats say they want to move quickly, but they’ll need Republican support to get anything through an evenly divided chamber — and they’re not there yet.
Curbs on insulin costs have the backing of President Joe Biden, and before that, even enjoyed support from his Republican predecessor Donald Trump. The goal reemerged this week after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote colleagues that “negotiations are underway with Senate Republicans on legislation to lower the cost of insulin,” part of an urgent push to address economic pain points for American families.
Democrats want to regain momentum on drug costs that they frittered away when endless rounds of intraparty disagreements stalled Biden’s domestic agenda. Some Republicans would also like to notch an accomplishment in a policy area that galvanizes voters across the political spectrum. House Democrats say insulin legislation that musters 60 votes in the Senate would also pass their chamber.
Schumer is a prominent cosponsor of a recent bill from Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., that would limit insulin copays to $35 a month for patients covered by private insurance and those on Medicare. Although it would expand on a Medicare option launched as an experiment by the Trump administration, the bill's roster of cosponsors includes no Republicans.
