November 16, 2023
Insulin Prices are Sky High
Are you or someone you know struggling to afford insulin? If so, you’re not alone. The Utah Attorney General and the Utah Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection have filed a lawsuit against insulin manufacturers Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi, as well as pharmacy benefits managers CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx. The lawsuit alleges that these companies were involved in an insulin pricing scheme that has harmed hundreds of thousands of Utah diabetics and their families.
The Lawsuit
According to the lawsuit, manufacturers and PBMs worked together to inflate the reported price of diabetes medications up to 1,000 percent over the last decade, even though the cost of producing these drugs has decreased over time. The alleged scheme created an environment where patients were forced to pay artificially high prices for life-saving medications while PBMs and manufacturers reaped record profits.
The Utah Division of Consumer Protection Wants to Hear From You
If you’ve been affected by rising insulin costs, the Division of Consumer Protection is inviting you to share your experience at dcp.utah.gov/insulin. Your input will be shared with the Division and might be used in this legal action. It’s important to speak up and let your voice be heard. The excessive price of insulin and the prevalence of the disease have historically led to dangerous patient practices, such as rationing or underdosing insulin, injecting expired insulin, and even reusing needles.
Don’t suffer in silence. File a complaint and help hold these companies accountable for their unconscionable actions and for the damage they have caused to Utahns who rely on insulin for survival.