MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Modeled after a bill passed by the Connecticut legislature, House of Delegates members Barbara Evans Fleischauer and Matt Rohrbach plan to co-sponsor legislation in the 2021 session that will cap co-pays for supplies, equipment and non-insulin drugs to treat diabetes.
“This bill was passed in Connecticut and it limits the price of supplies and equipment to $100 per month and also non-insulin drugs,” Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, said recently.
Glucose meters allow people with diabetes to monitor blood sugar levels. Some sufferers may require the use of the type of monitor that collects real-time data to better manage blood sugar levels. Additionally, some people with type 2 diabetes need non-insulin drugs like Trulicity to effectively manage their condition.
“It’s called a continuous glucose monitor, like every five minutes they can have a pump that will give them the right amount of insulin,” Fleischauer said.
State data shows 15% of adults in West Virginia have diabetes, the second highest rate in the country. According to Delegate Fleischauer, “It used to be that those diagnosed in childhood did not survive past their teenage years. Newer devices and equipment, if families can afford them, mean their lives will not be cut short.”
Fleischauer said it should be done in West Virginia where there’s the highest death rate and one of the lowest annual income rates in the country.
Delegate Rohrbach, R-Cabell, agreed.
“One of my constituents with decent insurance just spent over $2,000 for a pump for her son that pairs with her phone, his phone, and a glucometer,” Rohrbach said. “The family also pays $422 for additional supplies every 90 days in addition to the cost of insulin. These types of devices can make a big difference in both the quality and the length of people’s lives.”
Following a bus caravan by West Virginians to Canada to purchase cheaper insulin, in 2020, the West Virginia Legislature passed HB 4543, which capped co-pays for insulin at $100 per month in plans covered by West Virginia law.
This year’s 60-day regular legislative session begins Wednesday.
“We need people to get involved in every county of our state,” Fleischauer said. “To tell their legislators this legislation could really help them or a family member.”