After reading about the latest round of press conferences about legislative efforts to secure affordable emergency insulin for Minnesota's diabetics, we welcomed a Tuesday editorial in the New Ulm Journal, Insulin excuses should be made in public.
Some background from a WCCO 4 News story, Gov. Walz Seeks Public Hearings Over Emergency Insulin Impasse:
Gov. Tim Walz wants public hearings for Republicans and Democrats to reach a deal free emergency insulin for patients.
The Democratic House and Republican Senate passed proposals last spring to provide emergency supplies of the life sustaining medication for those who can’t afford it, but a compromise was [never] reached.
epublicans said last month they thought a deal could be reached in 30 days. Since then, negotiations have gone on behind closed doors. Walz says it time for that to change.
“Lets do these hearing out in the open. I understand sometimes that in delicate negotiations there is a need to step back and see if you can compromise. We have tried for 30 days and my understanding is that Friday an offer was tendered but not able to be accepted,” Walz said. “There is no reason this is an issue we can not solve. There is no reason we can’t deal with the emergency side for people who are uninsured and need it immediately, and the long-term costs.”
The hold-up continues to center around how the emergency supply will be provided to patients and who will pay for it. Republicans want doctors to distribute the free insulin. Democrats and patient advocacy groups want pharmacies to be the distributors. Democrats want free emergency insulin for anyone within 600% of federal poverty guidelines; for a family of four, that’s $150,000 a year.
Supporters of the high income benchmark say it’s needed because of the medication’s soaring costs. And while both sides agree manufacturers should pay for the emergency program, there are disagreements over just how much.
“Since we started working on this proposal we have had two Minnesotans, we know about, lose their lives. This is about saving people’s lives,” Rep. Michael Howard said.
Republicans say the closed-door working group is “making good progress,” with Republican Sen. Eric Pratt saying he is calling for a meeting this week. . . .
The Journal's editorial board minces no words in the conclusion of Insulin excuses should be made in public:
. . .Insulin activists want to see this issue solved quickly. Gov. Walz is ready to call a special session if the two parties can agree to a single plan.
The two sides have had 30 days to negotiate. Unless they can come up with a compromise in short order, we think they should have to hold public hearings to explain to the people what is holding them up.
Photo: Alec Smith, a 26-year-old young diabetic who died while rationing his insulin after he aged off his mother insurance plan and couldn't afford his prescription.
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