<p>An Iowa Republican is cosponsoring a bipartisan bill to cap the price of insulin at $35 per month. This initiative is part of efforts to gain support for her reelection campaign in a competitive midterm election.</p>
<p>Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) announced her collaboration with Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) on the "Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now" or INSULIN Act. The proposed legislation aims to limit out-of-pocket insulin costs to $35 per month for private insurance plans, aligning with the existing cap for Medicare beneficiaries.</p>
<p>"It’s not a Democrat or Republican issue," Miller-Meeks stated. "This is a bipartisan issue that giving people access to insulin can be life-saving, and we need to make sure that those who require it have access to it and access at an affordable rate."</p>
<p>Miller-Meeks, who has been in office since 2019, narrowly won reelection in 2024, securing victory by fewer than 800 votes in a closely contested race.</p>
<p>She is facing the same opponent, former Democratic state Rep. Christiana Bohannan, in the upcoming November midterm elections. Early polling indicates that Bohannan may have a slight lead over Miller-Meeks.</p>
<p>Democratic lobbying groups have criticized Miller-Meeks’s healthcare record, claiming she has not done enough to reduce healthcare costs for Iowans. Her decision to cosponsor a significant bipartisan measure on drug costs may appeal to swing voters in her district.</p>
<p>Healthcare affordability is a key concern for voters in this year’s midterm elections, with many identifying healthcare costs as a significant financial burden. Approximately 40 million Americans with diabetes have been particularly affected by insulin costs.</p>
<p>A June 2023 study from the American Diabetes Association revealed that 72% of insulin users surveyed pay more than $35 per month for their medication, with nearly 40% spending $150 or more monthly.</p>
<p>One-third of diabetic respondents reported cutting back on grocery expenses to afford necessary healthcare, while 25% delayed or skipped medical appointments due to costs.</p>
<p>Miller-Meeks was among 12 Republicans in the House who voted to cap insulin costs at $35 for Medicare beneficiaries in 2022. Although the stand-alone legislation did not pass, it was incorporated into a larger healthcare and climate bill that passed in 2022 under former President Joe Biden.</p>
<p>As a member of the GOP Doctors Caucus, Miller-Meeks cites her medical background in ophthalmology and her experience treating diabetes-related eye conditions as motivation for her advocacy on insulin costs.</p>
<p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 9.6 million adults with diabetes in the U.S. suffer from diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to blindness. The American Diabetes Association estimated the total annual cost of diabetes in the U.S. in 2022 at approximately $413 billion, representing a quarter of all U.S. health spending.</p>
<p>"If you keep your hemoglobin A1C in good control and your diabetes in good control, you’re less likely to serve long-term complications, which are not only devastating to the patient but also to the cost of the healthcare system at large," Miller-Meeks stated.</p>
<p>The INSULIN Act, originally introduced in the Senate by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), received bipartisan support in the Senate health committee in July and is awaiting a vote by the full Senate.</p>
<p>Miller-Meeks is in discussions with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and health subcommittee chairman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) to advance the bill in the House.</p>
<p>The bill is unlikely to progress before the midterm elections in November, and its inclusion in future healthcare legislation remains uncertain.</p>
<p>"This is an issue we’re going to keep working on because for many people this is life or death," Miller-Meeks concluded.</p>