In the same article, Rappold tells the heartbreaking story of a young man named Alec Smith.
“Alec…had to get off his mother's insurance at the age of 26 and, unable to find a reasonable
plan, tried to go to the pharmacy and pay out-of-pocket. The cost was $1,300 for a month's supply.”
According to the young man’s mother, “Alec left without anything, thinking he could make what he
had in his supplies last until payday. He died about 4 days before his paycheck.”
Stories such as these are not as unusual as one might imagine. “The close friend of one of my
co-workers was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at six months old,” said Shanna. “Now in his thirties,
his eyesight is really bad because he has been unable to get the insulin he needs.”
As a result of stories like these, Congress introduced a bill called the Insulin Price Reduction
Act on July 22, 2019. According to a press release from U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a
cosponsor of the bill, “The Insulin Price Reduction Act would hold pharmacy benefit managers
(PBMs), big pharmaceutical companies and
insurers accountable for these surging prices by
incentivizing reductions in list prices.” Other
cosponsors include Susan Collins (R-Maine) and
Kevin Kramer (R-N.D.).
The bill now has to survive through endless
committee meetings in Congress. But the state
of Colorado has led the way for the rest of the
nation by passing its own bill. “On May 22, 2019,
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed the first
bill in the nation that will cap insulin co-pays at
$100 per month, regardless of the number of vials
needed” (diabetes.org).
For the first year after his diagnosis, Hudson’s
blood sugar levels had to be monitored with finger
sticks. “I set alarms during the night for 12:00
a.m., 2:00 a.m., and 5:00 a.m.,” said Shanna. “It
got where he didn’t even wake up anymore when
I would stick him.” The worst part for Hudson’s
mother was seeing her son alienated from normal
life. “Hudson is so active with sports. He’s got lots
of friends, but he couldn’t even spend the night
off anymore. It was too much for another parent
ABOVE Living with
Type 1 Diabetes has
had its challenges, but
Hudson's mom Shanna
and step-dad David
have helped him learn
to manage it well.
26 TOOMBS COUNTY MAGAZINE
/diabetes.org