To hear Jennifer Perkins tell it, losing her health insurance would be nothing short of a nightmare.
Like nearly 25% of people with diabetes, Perkins has had to ration her insulin, a dangerous practice that can potentially lead to blindness, kidney failure or even death. Yet, the drug’s out-of-pocket costs forced her to rely on a friend’s grandmother’s supply to see her through.
“Grandmas cannot be our state’s emergency insulin program,” said Perkins, a nurse from Tacoma.
A bill, which passed the state Senate last week, would lower the cost of insulin in Washington. Should it become law, Senate Bill 5546 would set a copay cap of $35 per 30-day supply of the drug for everyone on state-regulated insurance plans, such as Medicaid and state employees. It wouldn’t apply to private health plans.