Insulin cost is a symptom of a much bigger problem | Letter

Rather than proposing a bill to address the cost of one drug — insulin, which should cost nearly nothing — fix the payment system. A vial of insulin that cost $21 in 1996 is now over $250, despite production costs being only $2 to $4. The high price of insulin in the United States leads many of the 7.7 million Americans who need it to ration their doses, risking serious health effects. Although Sen. Susan Collins’ July 29 op-ed celebrates (“We are one step closer to affordable insulin”), it makes no sense to fix this problem one drug at a time. Instead, fix the health payment system.