Press Releases

Congresswoman DelBene has announced that Dana VanBuecken – a patient with type 1 diabetes from Kenmore who has dedicated her life to researching diabetes and advocating for a cure – will be her guest at the State of the Union Address on Tuesday.  

VanBuecken, a mother of four, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 13 years ago, and attended an event last year hosted by DelBene and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to promote the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3). As a research nurse practitioner and member of the Diabetes Clinical Research program at Benaroya Research Institute, VanBuecken has seen insulin – a drug necessary for the survival and health of patients with Type 1 diabetes – go from costing her a manageable $100 per month after insurance to an unreasonable $600 per month over the course of the last decade. With the cost of her insulin pump, glucose monitoring supplies, and doctors visits, VanBuecken currently pays over $1000 per month after insurance to manage her diabetes. Despite having to make many sacrifices to afford her medication, VanBuecken considers herself lucky to have a supportive family and a fulfilling career that allows her to afford her insulin. However, if insulin prices continue to rise at the current rate, this may not be the case for long. 

“Dana has been brave to speak out on the prohibitive costs of insulin and the toll it is taking on millions of patients,” said DelBene. “Her advocacy and work as a researcher to help patients with type 1 diabetes has been inspiring. She joins many of us in the House in our efforts to lower the high cost of prescription drugs in our country. It is my privilege to have Dana accompany me to this year’s State of the Union Address.”