Republican state senators unveiled a second attempt to make insulin more affordable for Minnesota residents last month.
Even though the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Bill failed to pass in the last legislative session, state lawmakers are giving the bill new consideration this term. The bill is named after a 26-year-old Minneapolis man who died after rationing his insulin because he could not afford the cost of the medication.
The new plan would give access to insulin for patients who don’t already have public health insurance like Medicare or Medicaid and their family income is less than 400 percent of the federal poverty line.
Statistics show the average diabetic patient spends more than $5,700 a year on insulin, a cost that has doubled in recent years, the Associated Press reported.
“We recognize that Minnesotans are struggling to afford insulin, and I believe we have a plan here that will help fix that,” Sen. Eric Pratt (R-Shakopee), author of the bill, told the Associated Press.
Democrats also are working on their own insulin assistance bill. It was reported on Friday that a meeting was held to come to an agreement to merge the bills.
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