Sen. Wyden: Voters Support Build Back Better’s Cap on Insulin Prices
By Sen. Ron Wyden
On Friday, the House passed the Build Back Better Act — a landmark bill that, amongst many other things, will help millions of Americans afford their prescription drugs. Critically, this sweeping legislation will allow Medicare to negotiate the prices of certain pharmaceuticals, including insulin. It also creates a cap so that no one pays more than $35 per month for insulin.
Let me say that again: House Democrats just passed a cap on the price of insulin at $35 per month — and now it’s time for the Senate to get it done.
American families currently pay thousands of dollars a year for their insulin, far more than any other nation. Even though its estimated cost of manufacturing is just $2.28 to $6.34 per vial, the sticker price for a single vial of insulin is $300. That’s hundreds of dollars a month out of the pockets of millions of families in Oregon and families across the country for a drug that’s been around for decades due to the uncontrolled greed of the pharmaceutical industry.
The effects are disastrous. For instance, one quarter of Americans with Type 1 diabetes ration their insulin due to its exorbitant costs. By capping the price of insulin at $35 per month, the Build Back Better Act can help millions of Americans get the insulin they need at a price they can afford.
New polling from Data for Progress finds that Americans overwhelmingly support this proposal. By a +79-point margin, an overwhelming majority of voters support capping insulin costs at $35 per month. That’s not to mention support for a price cap is bipartisan — it’s supported by Democrats by a +90-point margin, Independents by a +76-point margin, and Republicans by a +71-point margin.
As the Build Back Better Act makes its way to the Senate, it’s essential that this provision remains in the final legislation. This is a life-or-death issue for millions of Americans, and one that would save the federal government billions of dollars. And as Data for Progress polling shows, voting for it can help Senators appeal to voters across party lines.
To save lives and build support with Democratic, Independent, and Republican voters, the Senate must pass the Build Back Better Act with its cap on insulin prices included.
Senator Ron Wyden is a Democrat from Oregon and the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
Survey Methodology
From November 3 to 5, 2021, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,135 likely voters nationally using web panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, and voting history. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error is ±3 percentage points.