Bipartisan Senate bill to cap insulin for Americans at $35 has new momentum

Beginning in 2028, patients would pay the lesser of $35 or 25% of the negotiated net price.

"Our INSULIN Act would impose out-of-pocket limits for patients with commercial insurance, tackle commercial pharmacy benefit managers, and ensure that patients are the ones who are benefiting from the savings that they negotiate, and encourage biosimilar competition in order to lower list prices."

"My Administration will take immediate steps to end global freeloading and, should drug manufacturers fail to offer American consumers the most-favored-nation's lowest price, my Administration will take additional aggressive action."

Collin and Shaheen's legislation would also offer a limited cap on insulin for the uninsured - an issue reportedly driven by Warnock and Kennedy in the bipartisan group - creating a five-year pilot in 10 states to help uninsured patients get insulin for no more than $35 a month.

"We have already capped insulin for Medicare enrollees at $35 a month - this new INSULIN Act, which we plan to introduce next [this] week, will address insulin affordability for children, adults and those who are uninsured," Shaheen said in a statement.

"It will do, as the Medicare provision does, cap the cost of employer and private insurance coverage of insulin at $35 a month, create a pilot program to provide $35 a month insulin for uninsured diabetes patients, and it is a direct way to help American families facing economic pressures, and will make people healthier in the long run."

"This is something that he should support, because it is affordability."

The bill authorizes $100 million for fiscal 2027 for cost-cutting and defines "affordable" insulin as out-of-pocket costs of no more than $35 for a one-month supply.

Collins framed the measure as a response to patients rationing medicine they need to survive.

The proposal now faces the harder political test: winning buy-in from Senate leadership and finding a path to must-pass legislation later this year. But after years of failed starts, backers say they finally have a bipartisan framework that could move.