Ohio lawmakers fight to cap rising insulin costs

A bipartisan probe by the U.S. Senate’s Finance Committee concluded that insulin prices have increased significantly because of negotiations between drug manufacturers and PBMs. At the state level, Sens. Nickie Antonio and Hearcel F. Craig of Ohio plan to reintroduce legislation to cap the cost of insulin in the state. Antonio said, “The report couldn’t come at a better time for us to be able to address this and obviously what’s most important is what comes next.” Antonio and Boyd say they plan to actively communicate with Ohio’s federal representatives on this matter. The U.S. Senate’s investigation found that drug manufacturers “aggressively” raised the list price of their leading insulin brands by an average of 300% over the past decade “absent significant advances in the efficacy of the drugs.” Earnest Boyd, executive director of the Ohio Pharmacist Association, also believes the federal report is important. He said, “There’s a difference, or can be, when a congressional committee pays attention to it and if they take action.”