Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) announced that over 28,000 Washington seniors can save nearly $17 million this year on insulin as a result of Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act. This averages to $603 in annual out-of-pocket savings per Washington senior.

The law, which was passed last year with DelBene’s support, caps out-of-pocket prescription insulin costs at $35 per month for seniors on Medicare. The insulin provision went into effect at the start of 2023.

“The Inflation Reduction Act was all about lowering costs for families. Washington seniors, many of whom are on tight budgets, will experience direct savings as a part of this law. This will go a long way in ensuring seniors don’t have to ration their insulin and choose between lifesaving medication and their other bills,” said DelBene.

The data, outlined in a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, outlines several other findings about the law’s insulin savings:

• If the insulin provision had been in place in 2020, 1.5 million seniors across the country would have saved an average of $500 on insulin for the year.
• In 2019, about 37 percent of insulin prescriptions for seniors on Medicare were over $35 per fill, including 24 percent that exceeded $70 per fill.
• Nationally, the average out-of-pocket cost was $58 per insulin fill in 2019 for a typical 30-day supply. People with private insurance or Medicare paid about $63 per fill on average.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes several other health care and energy savings programs for families. More information about these savings can be found here.