FRANKFORT— The Kentucky House of Representatives decided Kentuckians should not have to choose between rent and insulin today.
House Bill 95 would cap cost-sharing requirements for prescription insulin at $30 per 30-day supply for state-regulated health plans.
Rep. Danny Bentley, R-Russell, one of the primary sponsors of HB 95, said insulin is needed to treat diabetes and without it people can suffer serious health consequences, such as losing their vision or a limb and even death.
Bentley testified that people often have to choose between paying their rent or buying insulin due to how expensive insulin can be. He said that the amount people are charged for insulin tripled between 2002 and 2013, despite the cost to manufacture insulin being $3.69 to $6 per vial.
“If I was paying cash for my insulin, if I didn’t have the insurance I have, my insulin would cost me $12,000 a year,” Bentley added.
Rep. Patti Minter, D-Bowling Green, who is also a primary sponsor of HB 95, asked the House to pass the legislation in a unanimous vote just as it did during the 2020 legislative session.
“No one should lose their sight because they don’t have access to something that costs $6 a bottle to manufacture,” Minter said.
Both Bentley and Minter have a personal connection to the bill. Bentley uses insulin and brought his vial to the House floor as an example, and Minter told House members her son also uses insulin.
HB 95 was approved by a 95-0 vote and will now head to the Senate for consideration.
