Under review: Legislature continues considering insulin bills, including Cambensy’s

State Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, is shown testifying before the House Committee on Commerce and Tourism in Lansing in October 2019. The House Health Policy Committee recently reviewed a bill by Cambensy to cap insulin copays at $50 for a 30-day prescription. The bill, one piece of a larger 15-part health care package, was passed by the House in late March and referred to the Senate Health Policy and Human Services Committee. (Journal file photo)

LANSING — The Legislature is reviewing bills that would reduce insulin copays, allow pharmacies to provide emergency insulin refills and cover those refills under health insurance.

One vial of insulin can cost up to $100-$600 or more, according to GoodRX, a California-based telemedicine platform that helps users track prescription drug prices.

And that may not even be enough to cover someone for a single month, according to Gary Dougherty, the director of state government affairs at the American Diabetes Association.

“People with diabetes are facing a crisis and they should not die because they can’t afford to live,” he said in testimony to the House Health Policy Committee.

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