Colorado is the only state in the country to cap insulin co-pay costs at $100 for patients with health insurance, but other states, including Texas, are starting to explore the possibility, Austin's KXAN reports.
According to KXAN, a state plan released by the Texas Diabetes Council outlines these co-pay caps as a priority and it says they are "a key step to ensuring insulin is more affordable for those who need it."
"The increasing price of insulin has caused one in every four patients to ration the medication, which is a lifesaving drug," the report states. "Insulin prices have tripled in the last 10 years and the cost of newer medications for diabetes is out of reach for many patients. The Texas public has no knowledge about how much manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers and pharmacies in the supply chain benefit from the sale of insulin."
Families and advocates of those who have Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, say the rising cost of insulin has made it into a life or death issue for a lot of people, KXAN reports.
Other states with lawmakers looking into insulin co-pay caps include Illinois and Virginia.
