INDIANAPOLIS — President Joe Biden said Monday he's going to do everything he can to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
But first, it has to pass Congress. It's all part of his "Build Back Better Bill."
The president said it would cap co-pays for insulin at $35 a month, starting in 2023, and he spoke about how the legislation would help families, including an Indianapolis woman.
Sa'Ra Skipper was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was just 5 years old. Her sister, Shelby, was diagnosed when she was 8. Sa'Ra told the president affording insulin has been the challenge of her family's life.
Just a few years ago, insulin cost her $1,000 a month, so she had to share with her sister.
"At one point, because Shelby thought Sa'Ra had taken her dose that Shelby cut a dose in half, because the bottle was sitting there and it would look like it was half empty. Is that correct? And at that time she thought, 'Well, I guess what, I guess she hadn't taken it yet'. Shelby had to be hospitalized as a consequence for four days. Working two jobs, sharing insulin in the same vial in America. Shame on us as a nation if we can't do better than this."
If passed, the bill would also empower Medicare to negotiate prices of some medicines given in doctors' offices or purchased at the pharmacy.
The Health and Human Services secretary would negotiate up to 10 drugs in 2025, and as many as 20 by 2028.