SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents will now have access to more affordable insulin, thanks to the help of State Senator Robert Martwick.
Martwick championed Senate Bill 667, which caps the out-of-pocket cost at $100 for a 30-day supply of the medication. It was signed into law in Springfield on Friday.
“People living with diabetes don’t have the option of choosing whether or not they want to use insulin,” Martwick said. “The fact that Illinois residents have had to make that choice is unacceptable. This new law will help save lives and alleviate financial difficulties.”
Nearly 30 million children and adults in this country are diagnosed with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Individuals with the lifelong condition of Type 1 diabetes will on average spend $5,705 per year on prescription insulin alone.
“We should not be treating diabetes in emergency rooms because people cannot afford their medications,” Martwick said. “Today the voices of Illinois residents were heard. As a state, we must continue to prioritize the health of residents, not corporate profits.”
Between the years of 2002 and 2013, the out-of-pocket cost of prescription insulin has more than doubled, which has led to many diabetics rationing their insulin and sacrificing other daily needs to pay for the medication.
