Donate
Open letter to Elected Officials in America from #insulin4all Advocates

Open letter to Elected Officials in America from #insulin4all Advocates

Facebook Google LinkedIn Twitter

Dear Elected Officials,

We live and vote in your states, and all of us have type 1 diabetes or love someone with the life-long, non-preventable autoimmune disease. We want to talk about the insulin pricing crisis, and we want you to make the issue part of your legislative priorities.

Insulin is as necessary to a diabetic as oxygen, yet people with diabetes around the country are suffering from lack of access to insulin. Here are a few facts on this issue to put it in perspective:

  • Over 6 million Americans are insulin dependent in the US.
  • Prices of insulin have been rising at an alarming rate for over a decade, with insulin manufacturers raising their prices in lock step with each other.
  • Insulin prices have increased over 1000% in the last 20 years, and they continue to rise.
  • Even with insurance, people are paying an average of at least $210 per month for insulin alone and up to 50% of their annual income on diabetes costs.
  • These prices are so high that people with diabetes are forced to resort to drastic measures just to stay alive.
  • Many people with diabetes are rationing their insulin, and an increasing number of people have died because they could not afford it.

Across the country, T1International has supported individuals and groups to unite and speak up against these unconscionable prices and the crisis those prices have created. The #insulin4all campaign has been advocating on social media, meeting to plan action, and leading in-person demonstrations.

Current elected officials and candidates need to be speaking on access to insulin and high insulin prices. Those of us who have been fighting for affordable insulin at the state, national, and global levels encourage all officials to push for full transparency and accountability of all parties involved in the pricing of insulin.

We request your leadership to pursue legislative action to address this crisis and bring price transparency to insulin. To start, we would like to see every state pass legislation similar to Nevada’s Senate Bill 539 passed in June 2017. This bill requires pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers disclose the costs of insulin, justifications for these costs, and any factors leading to price increases.

If you are not already supporting #insulin4all, we want you to join the conversation and to educate you about the situation. For starters, here is a resource that highlights key issues and progress that has been made so far.

We would love to discuss insulin pricing further, so we hope you will be willing to meet with us and listen to us. Please help create spaces to discuss the current issues around insulin pricing and provide a platform to have our stories heard. Let us support you with resources and roadmaps that can lead to improvements and, ultimately, an end to this crisis.

Sincerely,
T1International & representatives of the #insulin4all community

Download, edit, and mail or email this letter to your local or state representatives. If you send a letter in the mail, remember that the hyperlinks won't work, so you'll need to attach the relevant resources with your letter. 

Related posts:

Hard Work Pays Off for #insulin4all Chapters [USA Update]

Hard Work Pays Off for #insulin4all Chapters [USA Update]

The #insulin4all USA Chapters are building a coordinated movement to ensure insulin is affordable and accessible to all people with type 1 diabetes. Their efforts are leading to real change at both the State and Federal level. Read more

Advocates meet for #insulin4all in New York City

Advocates meet for #insulin4all in New York City

More than a dozen people from all over the New York City metropolitan area gathered on February 8th at the historic LGBT Center on 13th Street in Manhattan to discuss insulin access issues in America. Read more

Pleas from the USA

Pleas from the USA

Why is this happening? How are millions of people slipping through the cracks? Why are we living in fear because we cannot afford to “breathe”? Insulin is oxygen; price gouging cannot go on. This is my plea—our plea— and we are in desperate need of change. Read more

Taking a Stand at Eli Lilly Headquarters

Taking a Stand at Eli Lilly Headquarters

I joined dozens of people impacted by the rising cost of insulin in the USA in protest of those prices in front of Eli Lilly headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. Some had traveled many hours to join the protest, but one thing was made clear, we wanted to ensure that Eli Lilly heard our voices. We were passionate in our outcry for change and jointly understood that not saying anything is simply not an option.
Read more

Uninsured with diabetes in the USA

Uninsured with diabetes in the USA

I have had times of desperation where I have used expired insulin, skipped some meals and diluted my insulin with water until I could afford to buy my next vial, but I am alive. I would like to suggest a few things to those who are possibly facing a future with no insurance... Read more

Diabetes and the “American Dream”

Diabetes and the “American Dream”

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 12, after my mom noticed I had lost an extreme amount of weight after three days at summer camp. She had my uncle, a type 2 diabetic test my blood sugar, like he had many times before because of my fascination with medical equipment. Except this time, something was wrong. Read more

America is Number 1 - in Diabetes Costs

America is Number 1 - in Diabetes Costs

Everyone likes being #1, and Americans are no exception. Few Americans will be celebrating that they have the world’s highest out of pocket costs for insulin and other life-saving diabetes supplies. Read more