Insulin: Cost Caps and Patient Protections
The Insulin Act of 2026 was sent to three different House committees on September 2, 2026. It has not moved since that date and must be reviewed by these committees before it can proceed. Most bills do not receive a committee vote, so this proposal is currently stalled.
The bill has strong bipartisan support and addresses a high-profile issue, but it faces hurdles in a crowded legislative calendar and potential industry pushback.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Small businesses that sponsor group health plans must comply with the new insulin cost-sharing caps and cannot use prior authorization to delay coverage, which could modestly raise the cost of providing insurance. At the same time, healthier, better-covered employees can mean fewer missed workdays tied to unmanaged diabetes.
“a group health plan or health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall provide coverage of selected insulin products”
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan and a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the INSULIN Act on Thursday. The legislation limits private insurance copays to $35 or 25% of the list price, waives deductibles, and establishes a 24/7 hotline to help uninsured patients find low-cost medication resources.
The INSULIN Act of 2026 (S. 4189) would cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month for patients with commercial insurance. It also proposes PBM rebate reforms and a five-year pilot program to provide grants to 10 states to help uninsured residents access affordable insulin supplies.
The Senate HELP Committee voted 17-5 to advance the INSULIN Act of 2026. The bill caps insulin costs at $35 for those on private insurance and includes provisions to speed up FDA approval for biosimilar competitors, aiming to address the root causes of high drug prices through market competition.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
INSULIN Act of 2026
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.