As the saying goes, the news never stops — but there’s a lot of it out there, and all of it doesn’t always pertain to our readers. In this weekly news roundup, we’ll cover the top news stories that matter most to our diversity focused audience.
1. Insulin Capped at $35 for People on Medicare
As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, those 65 and over who are on Medicare won’t have to pay more than $35 for insulin starting this year. While this is a step in the right direction, there are millions of people with diabetes who won’t benefit from this, which is the result of Republican senators blocking a revision that would have capped the cost of the drug for most Americans with private insurance back in August.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 21 million people in the United States who have diabetes are under the age of 65. The average cost of insulin in the U.S. is over $98, and this number can reach the hundreds for people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who need more than one vial of the drug per month. When people don’t have insulin because they can’t afford it, they try to ration it, which could lead to being hospitalized or even death.