AARPCO, Sen. Bennet Hear from Coloradans on Rx Costs

Karen Roach

AARP Colorado State Director Sara Schueneman and Sen. Michael Bennet invited five community members, including two AARP volunteers, to discuss the prescription drug costs as outlined within the Inflation Reduction Act and the next steps in the effort to make Rx drugs more affordable throughout the state.

Joining the Senator and Schueneman recently were Ann Valdez, Jocelyn Miller, Debbie Hornor and AARP volunteers Greg Glischinski and Jean Nofles.

Bennet said it was a great privilege to meet with the community members and believes there is still much to do to make prescription drugs more affordable and health care more accessible.

“We have more work to do,” he said. “We have to keep fighting. There’s a lot of people your voices are representing.”

Valdez became diabetic at age 49 and took pills until about three years ago when she was prescribed insulin. At one point, her insulin went up to $250-$300 a month.

I couldn’t afford that,” the 82-year-old retired bank employee said. “I was rationing the doses.”

While Valdez eventually found a cheaper brand, she is hopeful the new law will now allow her to get her insulin prescription down permanently to $35 per month under the new cap for Medicare recipients.

Skyrocketing insulin prices and associated out-of-pocket costs for people with Medicare have forced millions to choose between paying for medicine, groceries, and other necessities. Research shows more than one in 10 older adults with diabetes skip, delay, or use less insulin than needed to save money, which can lead to serious health complications and even death.

Before the new law took effect, people in Medicare prescription drug plans with diabetes paid an average of $54 for each insulin prescription and $700 a year out of pocket. The new law is an essential first step to making insulin and associated out-of-pocket costs more affordable.

Bennet said the next steps must include more transparency in the costs associated with health care.

“It takes someone going to the pharmacy and taking their prescription and the pharmacist saying, ‘this is what it’s going to cost you out of pocket’ and you have no idea … if that has to do with the development of the drug; there’s no way to know, and that is something I think we can change,” Bennet said.