LINCOLN- On Tuesday, Gov. Jim Pillen signed Sen. Bostar's long-awaited LB799, which caps the price of life-saving insulin at $35 per month in the state. Starting on January 1st, the cap will only apply to the out-of-pocket cost of prescription insulin. Sen. Bostar's original measure was amended into LB92, the package of bills that were signed by Gov. Pillen.

Nebraska, having enacted the insulin cap measure, is now in line with 23 other states, as well as the District of Columbia, that have enacted similar proposals. "More than 700,000 Nebraskans either have or are at risk for diabetes," said Gary Doughert, director of state government affairs for the American Diabetes Association, "So, we're talking about a lot of people."

Between 2012 and 2021, the price of insulin nearly doubled across the country, with many unable to purchase the essential medication. According to Jina Ragland, advocacy director for AARP of Nebraska, this heightened price forced Nebraskans to make tough decisions. "That's very concerning when they're making a choice about whether they're paying for the out-of-pocket cost of their insulin or their medications," said Ragland, "or whether they're having to choose not going to the grocery store and buying their basic necessities of food."

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