Virginia law to lower insulin costs doesn't apply to most diabetics

Imagine Donna Reid’s elation last year when she learned of a new state law that could save her almost $1,500 annually.

Signed by Gov. Ralph Northam a year ago, the measure enacted by the Virginia General Assembly put a cap on diabetics’ copayment cost for insulin.

Beginning Jan. 1, it was supposed to be $50 per month “for insulin and insulin products.” And that was potentially meaningful for hundreds of thousands people who suffer from Type I or Type II diabetes.

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But as always, the devil’s in the details. When I spoke with Carter about Reid’s complaint, he flagged a couple of “issues,” with the new law. “There are various cracks people are falling through with this insulin copay cap,” Carter said.

The chief one is, “unfortunately, the Virginia law applies only to Virginia-regulated health plans,” Carter said. If a Virginia resident has a health plan that’s regulated by the federal government, “those are beyond our reach,” Carter said.

Read more: https://roanoke.com/news/casey-virginia-law-to-lower-insulin-costs-doesnt-apply-to-most-diabetics/article_fb4d8f5e-97e4-11eb-bc6f-bb7f1cf05c85.html