Cost Of Insulin May Soon Be Capped By Law : Great News For Diabetics!

A blood glucose level chart showing the optimal levels.


The cost of prescription drugs has gotten so out of hand that regulators and legislators are having to step in and try to remedy the situation.  The latest effort comes from the House of Representatives, which recently passed a bill which would cap the cost of insulin.  The bill, which passed by a vote of 232-193 would cap the cost of insulin for both those on Medicare and those with private insurance at just $35 per month.  A similar bill passed the House last year but died in the Senate.  Democratic legislators are hoping to work out a compromise with Republicans to get it passed in the Senate.

 

New Book Cost Of Living Explores Healthcare System Inside And Out

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


A new book by Emily Maloney called “Cost of Living†explores the health care system from a unique point of view.  The book’s author tried to kill herself when she was 19 and ended up in a psych ward.  Later in life she worked as an emergency room tech and later in hospital billing, so she has seen the healthcare system from the inside and the outside.  The book explores the financial side of the health care system but also the emotional side where hospital staff can sometimes be callous.  It’s worth a read.

Biogen’s Aduhelm Not Accessible To Most Alzheimer’s Victims

A doctor and patient looking at a book


There was much excitement when Biogen’s Aduhelm was approved by the FDA for use on Alzheimer’s patients in June.  Although there was controversy in the medical community regarding whether or not it was effective, it gave hope for many suffering from a disease which hasn’t seen a promising new drug in nearly 20 years.  The problem is, the cost of the drug is so high at $56K/year few people have access to it.  Medicare recipients won’t find out until next year if they are going to cover the drug and, if so, for whom.  Stephen Salloway, director of Butler Hospital’s Memory and Aging Program, one of the few places serving up the drug, says that by next week it will have treated ten patients with the drug, with more than 100 others on a waiting list.  Those few are paying cash.  “That’s not the way I want to go about this, that only people with means can access the drug,†said Dr. Salloway.  “That’s not what the FDA intended.  It isn’t equitable.â€Â  I agree, however, with the Medicare fund quickly running out of money without even covering drugs like this, a solution needs to come from Congress at the behest of President Biden.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biogens-new-alzheimers-drug-beyond-reach-for-many-patients-11630077741

Social Security Benefits To Rise 1.3% In 2021

A blue and white logo of the social security administration.


The cost of living increase (COLA) for seniors and others receiving Social Security will rise only 1.3% in 2021, down from the 1.6% increase in 2020.  This works out to an average of $20/month for those receiving the benefit.  The Social Security Administration (SSA) sets the increase based on the Labor Department’s consumer-price-index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, also known as the CPI-W.