Utah voters overwhelmingly want the Utah Legislature to pass a law similar to Colorado’s, which would cap medical insurance co-payments for insulin at $100 per prescription, a new UtahPolicy.com/Y2 Analytics survey finds.
The cost of insulin, needed by diabetics to stay well, or even survive, has been going up in recent years. So has the instances of Type 2 diabetes, which often comes with aging and over-weight issues.
The cost to patients per prescription — upwards of $300 — is now so high that some diabetes patients are going to Mexico to fill their prescriptions.
Utahns of all political and demographic strips are now in favor of a law that would make health insurance firms cap the co-payment, with the firms having to pay the difference, they could not raise the price of other benefits to compensate.
Y2 finds:
— Overall, 78 percent of voters “strongly” or “somewhat” support such a new law, with 49 percent “strongly” in support of the Utah Legislature acting.
— Only 23 percent “strongly” or “somewhat” oppose the capping of insulin co-payments like Colorado does.
No demographic or political group opposes such a new law.
Even those who told Y2 that they are “strongly conservative” favor such an insulin payment capping law, 55 percent in favor and 46 percent opposed.
Other groups are even more in favor of capping insulin co-payments at $100:
— Women in favor, 84-16 percent; men, 75-29 percent.
— Those who said they are “strong” Republicans, 67 percent in favor.
— Political independents, 79 percent in favor.
— “Strong” Democrats, 95 percent in favor.
— Those who told Y2 they are political “moderates,” 87 percent in favor.
— “Strong” liberals, 100 percent in favor.
Not only is capping the cost of insulin a political issue, it appears to be a moral one as well.
Y2 finds that 71 percent of those who said they are “very active” in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are strongly or somewhat in favor of capping insulin prescriptions at $100.
Only 29 percent of very active Mormons are against such a law.
A UtahPolicy.com review of the current numbered bills and bill requests made by legislators as the 2020 Legislature looms, however, finds no bill which addresses the cost of insulin.
That doesn’t mean one won’t be introduced, the Legislature convenes Jan. 27 and the 104 part-time lawmakers have a week or so after that to formally introduce their bills for the 45-day general session.
