The Minnesota Legislature is officially back in session!
It will be a short year – we are scheduled to adjourn in about 13 weeks – so we have a lot to get done and not a lot of time to do it.
That is why the Senate hit the ground running. Only two days after we gaveled in for the start of session, the Health and Human Services held a hearing on our Insulin Assistance Program. You probably recall this issue surfacing last year. We heard so many stories of people struggling to afford their medicine, which for many people was over $1,000 per month. We even heard about a number of tragic deaths that resulted from skyrocketing prices.
It is a terrible situation, and one that needs to be addressed right away.
Fortunately, a lot of the problem corrected itself over the summer and fall. One by one, Minnesota’s health insurers voluntarily capped out-of-pocket insulin costs for their patients at about $25 per month, including for folks who purchase plans on MNsure.
But there are still some people who need assistance. Senate Republicans have a plan to help them.
It’s pretty simple: first, it allows people in an emergency situation to go to their pharmacy for a 30-day supply of insulin. It will cost them a $75 co-pay, which makes it one of the most affordable emergency insulin programs in the country. This will be available once per year to eligible individuals.
Second, our plan offers free insulin, paid for by the pharmaceutical companies, to anyone at or below 400% of federal poverty guidelines. We understand that sometimes crises arise, but we want to help people avoid ever getting into those circumstances in the first place. Patients who want to sign up can do so through MNsure, and once MNsure confirms their eligibility the medicine will be shipped out.
We want to catch people before they reach a crisis point. So please, if you know someone who can’t afford their insulin, encourage them to talk to their doctor about their options. It is the only way this is going to work.
And if it is a true emergency, please go to the emergency room. I can’t emphasize this enough.
Our plan is fast and effective. Our plan delivers insulin to those who need it without growing government, without creating a massive new bureaucracy, and without asking the disastrous Department of Human Services to manage it. Our plan makes the pharmaceutical companies foot the bill for the medicine. And most importantly, our plan focuses on protecting patients and making sure nobody else ever again dies because they can’t afford their medicine.
This is just one of the issues that will be on the agenda this session. If there is something on your mind, please don’t hesitate to let me know. You can contact me any time at Sen.John.Jasinski@Senate.mn.