Nevada Assembly Speaker Introduces Emergency Bill to Cap Insulin Prices at $35
Las Vegas, NV – In a press conference on Thursday, Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager announced an emergency bill aimed at capping the cost of insulin at $35 for individuals with private insurance. The proposed Assembly Bill 555, which is set to be introduced on the Assembly floor today, addresses the escalating costs of vital medication impacting thousands of Nevadans diagnosed with diabetes.
"Nevadans should never have to sacrifice life-saving medication because it is not affordable," Yeager stated. The measure follows the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act, which successfully capped insulin costs for Medicare recipients at $35 starting in 2024. Yeager emphasized the urgent need for this legislation, attributing the high prices to "failed economic policies" from the previous administration.
Rudy Zamora, a diabetic resident, noted that over 10 percent of adults in Nevada live with diabetes and can spend up to $6,000 annually on insulin. He expressed grave concerns about patients rationing their medication out of financial necessity. “Access to insulin is quite literally a matter of life and death,” Zamora warned.
Dr. Christina Madison echoed this sentiment, recounting numerous cases of patients being forced to take less than prescribed due to high costs, putting their lives at risk. Barb Hartzell, a parent of a child diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, stressed that insulin is a non-negotiable necessity, stating, "It is life support every single day."
The introduction of this bill marks a significant step toward ensuring that vital medications are accessible to all Nevadans, as lawmakers continue to address healthcare affordability within the state.
This is a developing story. For updates, contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.
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