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GOP Senators Block Cap On Insulin Prices


BarryLaverty

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8 hours ago, BarryLaverty said:

Big Pharma wins again, and millions lose. 

Republicans block cap on insulin costs for millions of patients

GOP senators move to strip a $35 price cap on insulin under private insurance from the Inflation Reduction Act

(Washington Post)

By Evan Halper

 and 

Tony Romm

 

August 7, 2022 at 10:57 a.m. EDT

Republican lawmakers on Sunday successfully stripped a $35 price cap on the cost of insulin for many patients from the ambitious legislative package Democrats are moving through Congress this weekend, invoking arcane Senate rules to jettison the measure.

The insulin cap is a long-running ambition of Democrats, who want it to apply to patients on Medicare and private insurance. Republicans left the portion that applies to Medicare patients untouched but stripped the insulin cap for other patients. Bipartisan talks on a broader insulin pricing bill faltered earlier this year.

The Senate parliamentarian earlier in the weekend ruled that part of the Democrats’ cap, included in the Inflation Reduction Act, did not comply with the rules that allow them to advance a bill under the process known as reconciliation — a tactic that helps them avert a GOP filibuster. That gave the Republicans an opening to jettison it.

 

“Republicans have just gone on the record in favor of expensive insulin,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). “After years of tough talk about taking on insulin makers, Republicans have once against wilted in the face of heat from Big Pharma."

Some Republicans did support the price cap in the 57-43 vote for the measure, but not enough joined Democrats in support of it to meet the threshold for passage.

More than 1 in 5 insulin users on private medical insurance pay more than $35 per month for the medicine, according to a recent analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Some 7 million Americans require insulin daily. A Yale University study found that 14 percent of those insulin users are spending more than 40 percent of their income after food and housing costs on the medicine.

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Despite an adverse ruling from the chamber’s parliamentarian, Democrats opted to keep the full price cap provision in the bill anyway. That gave Republicans, led in debate by Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), an opening for a challenge on the Senate floor. Democrats would have needed 60 votes — their entire caucus plus the support of 10 GOP members — to beat back that challenge. They came up short.

The fight was a policy loss for Democrats, but it was also a political win, as lowering the price of drugs like insulin is popular with voters.

"The only way it doesn’t pass is if folks on the other side of the aisle decide to block it,” said Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D-Ga.), who had previously put forward legislation calling for a price cap.

GOP lawmakers had earlier tried to offer their own, more scaled-back version of an insulin price limit, but Democrats rejected it as too narrow.

“The cost of insulin isn’t just out of control," Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said on the Senate floor, imploring the GOP not to strip the price cap from the bill. "This should not be a hard vote to cast.”

Until there is 1 bill 1 item, they blocked the green energy crap in that bill.  There was some good trying to be done in that, but it’s like all that ever happens in bills, beautiful painting to start with, then they smear 💩 all over it until it’s unrecognizable 

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19 hours ago, Sportsfanatic1 said:

The truth hurts don't it Larry?

Ironically for Senate Democrats, this measure would not be necessary if President Joe Biden had not suspended President Donald Trump’s executive order to lower the price of insulin and epinephrine. The Trump executive order was set to go into effect right after Biden moved into the White House.

@BarryLaverty

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Hard for me to feel sorry for many diabetics.  I know there are plenty out there who do all they can to control their blood sugar, but most of the ones I know make no effort to eat right and exercise.  Hell, many of the ones I know eat a boatload of candy and other sweets and then take their insulin.

I'm no expert, and I know we all have health issues that are beyond our control, but as a country we put ourselves in bad health with our diets and laziness.  Why does anyone owe it to these people to give them anything if they won't step up and try to do something for themselves?

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15 minutes ago, BoyzNdaHood said:

Curious as to why the date was set for after biden took office? Sounds fishy and a political stunt

You are curious as to the date, but not curious as to why Biden would suspend Trump's EO making it harder on poor people to get their medicine?  Then Biden turns around and makes himself look like the one who helped folks get their insulin.   You are right, it is a political stunt

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38 minutes ago, ObiOne said:

You are curious as to the date, but not curious as to why Biden would suspend Trump's EO making it harder on poor people to get their medicine?  Then Biden turns around and makes himself look like the one who helped folks get their insulin.   You are right, it is a political stunt

👍🏽

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On 8/7/2022 at 1:09 PM, EnjoyLife said:

Just the headline.

The young people, must be a tik/tokker also--20 seconds of information and you know the truth. It must be sad to be a liberal, they must all have ADHD ADD and every other acronym possible, that they can sit long enough to read and understand a situation outside of a "headline". 

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2 hours ago, DannyZuco said:

The young people, must be a tik/tokker also--20 seconds of information and you know the truth. It must be sad to be a liberal, they must all have ADHD ADD and every other acronym possible, that they can sit long enough to read and understand a situation outside of a 

Just an observation from 40 years of watching the gop in action.

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