Headline after headline has been writtenabout legislators efforts to help Minnesotans suffering because they cannotafford their insulin medication. Yet no tangible compromise has been reached ona medical issue that affects so many Minnesotans.

Many suffering from diabetes simply cannotwait for a more affordable option. Some people have literally died whilewaiting for economic relief that would allow them to purchase a drug that costsas much as $300 for a 10-day supply.

The 30-day deadline has gone and passed,an exasperated Nicole Smith-Holt said. At this point, it feels like itis all PR just making it look like they care. They need to do this to savelives, she stressed.

State Representative Micheal Howardagreed. He has been working to get a law passed that would make insulinavailable to those who either have an emergency or just cannot afford theinsulin they need to survive. We need to show more urgency; there really is noreason why we shouldnt be able to come together and get something done, hesaid.

This is a bill I have been working on formore than a year. Its been like working at the kitchen table trying to figureout how do we create a safety net so that nobody loses their life because theycannot afford their drugs? explained Howard. I understand the frustration foradvocates who have been pushing for this for more than a year. The crisis isright in front of us; the solution is right in front of us. We need all sidesto show that sense of urgency, the legislator said, alluding to what some havecalled foot-dragging and grandstanding on the part of Republicans.

Everybody knows a family member that isaffected, he added.

Medical experts have described diabetes asa disease that occurs when a persons blood glucose, also referred to as bloodsugar, is too high. And having too much glucose in ones blood can cause healthproblems.

Blood glucose is our main source of energyand comes from the food we eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helpsglucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes our bodydoesnt make enoughor anyinsulin or doesnt use insulin well. Glucose then staysin our blood and doesnt reach our cells.

Diabetes leads to heart disease, visionloss, kidney disease, a stroke or even amputation.

According to the American DiabetesAssociation, diabetes is a major health problem in the U.S. The fallout fromthe disease puts a tremendous strain on the health care industry. Studies haveshown that nearly one-third of the total U.S. population is affected by someform of diabetes, either Type 1, Type 2 or prediabetic.

And the risk of diabetes is higher inAfrican American adults. Latest studies showed that about 4.9 million or 18.7%of all African Americans 20 years of age and older have diagnosed orundiagnosed diabetes, compared to 7.1% of non-Hispanic White Americans. Therisk of diabetes is 77% higher among African Americans than non-Hispanic WhiteAmericans.

Holt has expressed disappointment thatafter all of the talk, no compromise has been reached. She said with theexception of a few, there has been little communication with those affected,especially with the families that have been pushing for something to be done.They cant write the bill without us, she said.

Holt has credited Governor Tim Walz withbeing a great ally but said that something needs to be done soon. There havebeen two deaths this year involving young people who simply could not affordtheir insulin.

Holts son Alec Holt died in 2017 when heattempted to ration his insulin because it was no longer affordable on hissalary. He had been on his mothers health insurance plan until he turned 26.His mother said that he searched for an insurance plan that was affordable onhis restaurant salary. But the best option was one that required a $7,000deductible, so he eventually chose to pay for his medical expensesout-of-pocket while he continued to search for a plan that was affordable.

Alec only survived another month. He wentfrom paying two to three hundred for his insulin to a thousand dollars, whichwas out of reach on his salary. His effort to stretch his meds cost him hislife.

According to Health Care Cost Institute, patients with Type 1 diabetes spent an average of $5,705 in 2016, nearly double what they paid in 2015.

Dr. Victor Montori, an endocrinologist atthe Mayo Clinic in Rochester, accused the health care system of corrupting itsmission for the sake of profits. The consequences are human lives,he said. Its a cruelty we can no longer accept.

The Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Actpassed by the Minnesota House of Representatives last spring was designed tocreate a statewide insulin assistance program to help Minnesotans who struggleto afford the insulin they desperately need. The bill would be funded throughan Insulin Manufacturer Fee, that would be collected from the threelargest insulin manufacturers, Eli Lilly, French company Sanofi and the Danishfirm Novo Nordisk, that control more than 90% of the market.

Since the House passed its version of anemergency bill, two young Minnesota men have died. A 28-year-old whose familyrequested that he remain anonymous died as a result of rationing his insulinsupply. Jesimya Scherer-Radcliff, 21, who had Type 1 diabetes, died in July.His parents said he was on their health insurance, but he still could notafford the insulin he needed to survive. He reportedly had been rationing his insulinsupply. One of his relatives testified at a legislative hearing on the cost ofinsulin that, Jesy didnt die from insulin rationing, he died from theprohibitive cost of insulin.

The pharmaceutical companies absolutelyneed to be a big participant in this because they caused this problem,explainedHoward. They should have a role in solving it. There are onlythree insulin producers that control the entire market and they have ratchetedthe price up.

According to Rep. Howard, both billsrequire contributions from the insulin manufacturers. The House bill includes amanufacturers fee, while the Senate bill requires companies to provide freeinsulin. The other difference between the bills is the Senate bill allows forlong-term assistance, but leaves out the emergency option plan the Houseprefers as a safety net.

What we do produce is going to be a newbill that will take elements of the House proposal and the Senate proposal,which will create a safety net and provide longer-term situations.

The global insulin market is dominated bythree companies: Eli Lilly, the French company Sanofi and the Danish firm NovoNordisk. All three have raised list prices to similar levels. According to IBMWatson Health data, documented that Sanofis popular insulin brand Lantus was$35 a vial when it was introduced in 2001; its now $270. Novo NordisksNovolog was priced at $40 in 2001, and as of July 2018, it was priced at $289.

Rep. Howard said he holds out hope thatsomething that can be done before the next session in February. It does nothave to be either or it should be yes and. We should try to address theemergency issue first to prevent more loss of life but also look at solutionsfor long term affordability. There is a way to marry the two and accomplishboth goals, a compromise that leaves the door open for public funding as well,he said.

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A matter of life and death: insulin emergency/affordability bill... - MSR News Online

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