AARP Eye Center
AARP led efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs by advocating for the passage of House Bill 1114, which expands the cap on out-of-pocket expenses for insulin and related medical supplies to the private insurance market to $25/month.
About the impetus for this bill:
- Eight in ten (82%) adults 50 and older describe prescription drugs as too expensive, according to AARP research.
- In North Dakota, the most vulnerable and underserved populations suffer from the highest rates of diabetes and have the poorest health outcomes.
- Based on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, in 2022, 57,203 adults in North Dakota were living with diabetes and another 226,430 were prediabetic, including 48,560 (49%) that were 65 and older.
- From 2009 to 2019, the price of insulin tripled even though there’s been no change to the product.
The high cost of insulin puts lifesaving medications out of the reach of many North Dakotans. Some face an impossible choice: Do I pay for my food or for my insulin? As proposed under HB 1114, insulin caps makes life-essential drugs more affordable and accessible for many older adults.
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