Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, is urging Senate leaders to schedule a vote on a bipartisan bill that aims to limit insulin prices for those with private insurance. She hopes to see this bill considered before Congress adjourns until after the midterm elections. Shaheen criticized President Trump for not fulfilling his pledge to lower costs, stating her proposed INSULIN Act could provide immediate savings to millions of Americans.
Shaheen, who plans to retire, wants the bill approved by year-end. She discussed the matter with the White House, and related conversations continue, a Democratic aide reports. The proposed legislation would set insulin costs at $35 for people with commercial insurance. Additionally, it would introduce a pilot program across 10 states to limit costs for uninsured individuals. This bill builds on President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which capped insulin costs for Medicare recipients.
The bill, supported by Shaheen, along with Senators Susan Collins, Raphael Warnock, and John Kennedy, passed the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in July with a 17-5 vote. It has 28 co-sponsors, split evenly between the two parties. This gives the proposal 60 potential votes in the Senate if all Democrats support it.
While the bill is unlikely to be voted on this week, it may become part of a year-end spending package. Discussions are ongoing about attaching it to a necessary defense policy and spending bill. A bipartisan House version of the bill was introduced this month by Representatives Diana DeGette, Angie Craig, Kim Schrier, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Rob Bresnahan, with elections approaching for Miller-Meeks and Bresnahan.
The bill’s success is uncertain. Similar insulin cap proposals faced resistance due to concerns about government interference in pricing. Senator Bill Cassidy, who chairs the HELP committee and voted against the bill, argues it establishes an unnecessary government grant program. He notes that many community health centers already offer affordable insulin, and criticizes a federal drug pricing program he claims hospitals exploit.
This bill is part of the ongoing healthcare discussions in Washington. Other notable developments include Pennsylvania reporting over 900 measles cases, a Democratic super PAC targeting Senator Susan Collins over Medicaid cuts, and a voluntary recall of chlorthalidone tablets by Inventia Healthcare Limited.