SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
CREATING A TASK FORCE ON
REDUCING PRESCRIPTION DRUG
PRICES IN WISCONSIN.
TONIGHT, WE HAVE AN INSIDE LOOK
AT HOW FOR DIABETICS THE COST OF
LIFE-SAVING INSULIN HAS GONE
THROUGH THE ROOF.
FOR PATIENTS IN WISCONSIN, NEW
LEGISLATION, EVEN APART FROM THE
TASK FORCE, COULD PROVIDE HOPE
FOR CURBING THOSE COSTS.
AS MARISA WOJCIK REPORTS FROM
APPLETON, THAT WOULD BE WELCOME
NEWS FOR A WOMAN THERE WHO
CANNOT AFFORD THE HIGH PRICE OF
INSULIN SOLD IN THE UNITED
STATES.
>> I WOULD DO 267 MINUS 125
WHICH IS WHERE I LIKE TO BE AND
DIVIDE BY 35.
>> 25-YEAR-OLD JULIA FLARE FLAHERTY
HAS BECOME GOOD AT MATH.
>> I'M A LITTLE HIGH RIGHT NOW.
>> SHE CALCULATES WHAT'S IN THE
FOOD SHE'S ABOUT TO EAT AND HOW
MUCH FAST-ACTING INSULIN SHE'LL
NEED TO GIVE HERSELF.
SHE HAS TYPE 1 DIABETES, A
DISEASE SHE'S BEEN LIVING WITH
SINCE SHE WAS TEN YEARS OLD.
>> I REALIZED THAT EVEN AT TEN I
WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE VERY
RESPONSIBLE AND VERY AWARE OF MY
BODY.
>> SHE LIVES IN APPLETON AND
WORKS AS A DIGITAL MARKETING
SPECIALIST, A STEADY JOB THAT
INCLUDES HEALTH INSURANCE
BENEFITS.
EVEN SO, THE PRICE OF LIVING
WITH DIABETES ADDS UP.
>> I GO TO SEE MY ENDOCRINE NOL
LIST.
THAT'S ABOUT $500 EACH TIME.
>> THERE'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF
MENTAL MATH.
>> 300, 200, 315, 75.
>> BY FAR THE MOST COST
PROHIBITIVE IS THE LIFE-SAVING
DRUG THAT REGULATES HER
DIABETES: INSULIN.
>> IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1800 IN
THE U.S. FOR 90 DAYS WHERE THE
SAME EXACT MEDICATION FROM
CANADA IS ABOUT $315 FOR ME.
THERE'S NO PREMIUM INSULIN.
THERE'S NO GENERIC.
>> IN THE UNITED STATES THE COST
OF INSULIN HAS TRIPLED SINCE
2002.
WHILE JULIA GETS SOME HELP FROM
HER INSURANCE, SHE HAS A VERY
HIGH DEDUCTIBLE, WHICH MEANS
MOST COSTS COME OUT OF HER
POCKET.
>> WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.
WE HAVE TO BUY IT OR WE DIE.
>> DIABETICS NEED INSULIN.
WITHOUT IT THEY FACE SERIOUS
HEALTH RISKS, INCLUDING DEATH.
BUT DESPITE THE SERIOUS DANGERS,
A RECENT STUDY SAYS ONE IN FOUR
PATIENTS REPORTED RATIONING
THEIR INSULIN DUE TO HIGH COSTS.
THEY'RE TURNING TO CANADA FOR
CHEAPER PRESCRIPTION DRUG
PRICES.
>> I WAS KINDS OF SKEPTICAL
ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE.
I WAS LOOKING INTO IF THERE WAS
ANY LEGAL IMPLICATION THAT COULD
COME BACK AT ME.
>> IT WASN'T AN EASY PROCESS.
>> I HAD TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF
FORMS AND BACK AND FORTH WITH
THE NURSES AND MY DOCTOR, BUT
THEY WERE WILLING TO WORK WITH
ME ON THAT.
SO I WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE.
BUT THAT'S NOT A SOLUTION, YOU
KNOW.
IT'S A WORK-AROUND.
>> BUT NEW STATE LEGISLATION IS
HOPING TO CHANGE THAT.
MODELED AFTER A BILL IN
COLORADO, A WISCONSIN DEMOCRATIC
BILL AIMS TO PLACE A CAP ON THE
TYPE OF INKS INSULIN CO-PAYS AT $100
A MONTH.
THE WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION OF
HEALTH PLANS HAS SAID THEY'RE
STILL REVIEWING THE PROPOSAL,
BUT SAID DRUG MANUFACTURERS ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING AND
REGULARLY INCREASING THE HIGH
LIST PRICE FOR INSULIN.
THIS PROPOSAL DOES NOTHING TO
ADDRESS THE ACTUAL AND
UNSUSTAINABLE PRICE OF INSULIN.
BUT JULIA IS STILL ENCOURAGED
SHE IS USING HER DIGITAL
MARKETING BACKGROUND TO BRING
AWARENESS ONLINE.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE COSTS BE
MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE
DESPITE YOUR SOCIOECONOMIC
STATUS, NOT JUST IN WISCONSIN,
BUT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THERE ARE PETITIONS GOING OUT
STATE BY STATE EVERY DAY ON
WEBSITES LIKE CHANGE.ORG.
I'M HAPPY THAT THE CONVERSATION
IS STRONGER AROUND IT.
BUT THIS IS REALLY JUST THE
BEGINNING.
>> REPORTING FROM APPLETON, I'M
MARISA WOJCIK.
>> TO DIG INTO THE CHALLENGES
PEOPLE WITH DIABETES FACE, AS
WELL AS HOW LEGISLATION MIGHT
CURB THE COST OF INSULIN, WE
TURN TO DR. LASHAWN GIVEER.
HOW CONCERNING IS IT TO YOU THAT
PEOPLE MIGHT BE RATIONING THEIR
INSULIN BECAUSE OF THE HIGH
COST?
>> IT'S EXTREMELY CONCERNING.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR
NOW ALMOST ON A WEEKLY BASIS,
THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAVING TO
RATION THEIR INSULIN, GO WITHOUT
THEIR INSULIN OR MAKE HARD LIFE
CHOICES REGARDING UTILITIES AND
HOUSING EXPENSES AND OTHER
EXPENSES FOR DAILY LIVING
BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF
INSULIN.
IN ADDITION, THERE ARE
LIFE-THREATENING CONSEQUENCES
ASSOCIATED WITH A PERSON NOT
TAKING THEIR MEDICATION AS
PRESCRIBED.
>> WHY IS THE PRICE OF INSULIN
INCREASING SO MUCH?
>> SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE
AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION
TOOK A VERY LONG LOOK AT.
IN 2017, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
COMMISSIONED A WORK GROUP TO
STUDY AND EXAMINE WHAT ARE THE
ISSUES DRIVING THE HIGH COST OF
INSULIN.
AND FROM THAT PROJECT, WE
LEARNED THAT THERE ARE MANY
THINGS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO
IT, BUT ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WE
WALKED AWAY FROM OR CONCLUSIONS
IS THAT THERE'S A LACK OF
TRANSPARENCY IN THE INSULIN
SUPPLY CHAIN.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THE HIGH LIST
PRICE FOR INSULIN INFLUENCES THE
SUPPLY CHAIN.
THE HIGHER THE LIST PRICE, THE
MORE THAT'S SHARED THROUGHOUT
THE SUPPLY CHAIN.
SO WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE STATE
AND FEDERAL BILLS THAT ARE
ADDRESSING INSULIN PRICING WILL
HELP BRING TRANSPARENCIES TO THE
ISSUE AND REDUCE THE COST FOR
PEOPLE WITH DIABETES.
>> AS FOR THE HIGH COST,
INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE KIND OF
POINTING THE FINGER AT DRUG FFER
ERS.
SHOULD THE DRUG MANUFACTURERS BE
THE ONES HELD ACCOUNTABLE?
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DID OUR
PROJECT, WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT
THERE'S A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY,
SO EVERY STAKEHOLDER WITHIN THE
INSULIN SUPPLY CHAIN SAID
ANOTHER ENTITY WAS RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE HIGH COST.
BUT, AS I SAID, THERE'S AN
INCENTIVE FOR A HIGH LIST PRICE,
WHERE THAT BENEFIT IS SHARED
THROUGHOUT.
SO WE'RE HOPING THROUGH
TRANSPARENCY WE CAN UNDERSTAND
WHERE ARE AREAS THAT WE CAN PUT
FORTH LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS TO
REDUCE THE PRICE OF INSULIN.
>> JULIA SAID WHILE SHE BUYS HER
INSULIN FROM CANADA, SHE
BELIEVES IT'S NOT A LONG-TERM
SOLUTION.
WHY WOULDN'T THAT BE?
>> SO NOT EVERYONE HAS ABILITY
TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY TO
TRY AND SOLVE THIS ISSUE.
WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON AT THE
AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION IS
SOLVING THIS PROBLEM WITHIN OUR
COUNTRY.
COLORADO AND NOW WISCONSIN ARE
LOOKING AT SOLUTIONS THAT WOULD
LOWER THE COST OF INSULIN FOR
PEOPLE WITH DIABETES AND THAT'S
WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, IS HOW
CAN WE MAKE INSULIN MORE
AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE IN THE
UNITED STATES.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO