Senator Reverend Warnock Pushes Senate Leadership to Bring Insulin Legislation to the Senate Floor ASAP

U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), lead sponsor of the Affordable Insulin Now Act, pushed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to bring insulin legislation to the Senate floor for a vote as soon as possible.

“I write to urge you to bring legislation to cap the out-of-pocket costs of insulin to the Senate floor for a vote as soon as possible,” wrote Senator Reverend Warnock in his letter.“Georgians are hurting as they experience rising costs, spurred by corporate greed, and no matter the state of the economy, those who rely on insulin have no choice but to pay for this essential medication. The time is now to finally act on this critical issue, and we can’t afford to wait any longer.”

Last month, Leader Schumer took procedural steps to call up insulin legislation on the Senate floor in the coming weeks. A stalwart advocate of making health care and prescription drugs more affordable and accessible, as well as lowering costs for everyday Georgians, Senator Warnock proudly introduced the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would cap the costs of insulin and insulin products, like needles, at $35 a month. This would immediately lower the out-of-pocket costs of insulin for hundreds of thousands of Georgians and Americans, and make insulin more affordable for people who need it.

“A cap on the cost of insulin would provide immediate relief and savings to individuals who rely on insulin,” Senator Warnock continued in the letter.“Seniors on Medicare Part D could save an average of $49 per month.  Additionally, half of those on private health plans could save at least $19 per month and a quarter would save at least $42 per month with my cost cap.  I urge you to imagine the effect of this relief for Americans – both financially, physically, and mentally.”

“Every day that we waste by not passing legislation to address the cost of insulin, means another day that Georgians struggle to get the medication they need to survive,” Senator Warnock added.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Majority Leader Schumer:

I write to urge you to bring legislation to cap the out-of-pocket costs of insulin to the Senate floor for a vote as soon as possible. Georgians are hurting as they experience rising costs, spurred by corporate greed, and no matter the state of the economy, those who rely on insulin have no choice but to pay for this essential medication. The time is now to finally act on this critical issue, and we can’t afford to wait any longer.

Every day that we waste by not passing legislation to address the cost of insulin, means another day that Georgians struggle to get the medication they need to survive. In Georgia, over 1 million people have diabetes, which is 12 percent of the state’s adult population.  Another nearly 240,000 Georgians are likely living with undiagnosed diabetes. While not all diabetics use insulin, those who do use it need it to survive. Since joining the Senate, I have received more than 3,000 letters from Georgians asking me to act to lower prescription drug prices, 300 about insulin specifically.

One constituent in Newnan recently wrote to me to demonstrate the personal toll that high insulin prices takes on him. Every month he has to decide whether to buy groceries, pay rent, or cover the cost of his life-saving insulin. Another constituent in Roswell wrote to me about her adult son who has a child with diabetes and how the cost of insulin has crippled their family. These are just a couple examples of the real life consequences that hard-working families in Georgia face.

A cap on the cost of insulin would provide immediate relief and savings to individuals who rely on insulin. Seniors on Medicare Part D could save an average of $49 per month.  Additionally, half of those on private health plans could save at least $19 per month and a quarter would save at least $42 per month with my cost cap.  I urge you to imagine the effect of this relief for Americans – both financially, physically, and mentally.

And as you know, this is not an ideological issue; it is bipartisan. States like Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama put similar insulin caps in place at a state level.  And in Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Affordable Insulin Now Act, my legislation to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs, last month with bipartisan support.

I am deeply disappointed the Senate was not able to vote on this critical legislation before Memorial Day. However, I was glad to see that you took procedural steps to bring insulin legislation to the Senate floor during the next work period. I remain committed, as ever, to working to get something done for Georgians living with diabetes, including through bipartisan legislation. But we must move urgently to get something done. I look forward to working with you to help countless hard-working Georgians, and many more across the country, afford this life-saving medication.