Not quite as dramatic as yesterday’s story about the $489,000 med flight — but still criminal — is the price of insulin in the United States. Insulin has been around since 1922, so it’s not exactly a new medication. And yet, a one-month supply of the insulin Humalog cost $21 in 1996, but $275 in 2019—a 1200% increase—but actual inflation during that same period was only 63.67%.
A 2018 study by the Rand corporation found that the average cost of insulin in the United States compared as follows with these other major consumers:
- United States — $98.70
- Chile — $21.48
- Mexico — $16.48
- Japan — $14.40
- Switzerland — $12.46
- Canada — $12.00
- Germany — $11.00
- Korea — $10.30
- Luxembourg — $10.15
- Italy — $10.03
Why is insulin $12 in Canada and almost $99 in the United States?
A few days ago the U.S. House passed a bill to cap the price of insulin at $35 per vial. 193 Republicans voted against it (12 Republicans voted for it). It’s now moved on to the Senate and it’s not guaranteed that it will pass there.
193 Republicans voted against limiting insulin to $35 per vial.
And this is the party of the middle class?
