CHARLESTON, W.Va. − On January 26, the House of Delegates passed HB 4252 that could help many West Virginians with diabetes. The bill would cap the cost of insulin at $35 for a 30-day supply, lowering that from a previous cap of $100. Cost sharing for devices such as blood sugar test strips or glucometers is capped at $100 for a 30-day supply. Also, cost-sharing for insulin pumps would be capped at $250 for insulin pumps.

The bill states that an estimated 240,000 West Virginians are diagnosed and living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and another 65,000 are undiagnosed. “I am so thankful for this bill because it will truly save lives,” Delegate Barbara Fleischauer said.

Delegate John Kelly described himself as a Type 2 diabetic who takes insulin. He said the co-pay for his recent prescription was more than $800. “Is this bill going to help that for me or other people in the situation I’m in?” Kelly asked. “Yes,” responded Rohrbach. “That’s the way we take it, if you’ve got insurance.”

The bill passed the House with a 94-3 vote and will now go to the Senate for consideration.

Source: MetroNews