This past June, a critical law passed in Nevada, thanks to persistent people with spirit that never gives up.
Changes Through Advocacy
The law, which is a hybrid of two proposed bills, SB265 and SB539, will hold companies accountable for the outrageous pricing of insulin by requiring a report if they raise prices by a certain amount. Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) will no longer be able to cover rebates that ultimately burden patients, and pharmaceutical sales reps and pharma-funded nonprofits will have to be transparent as well. This is a huge victory, serving as a significant stepping stone. What it shows us is that persistence, passion and advocacy can make all the difference in the world.
Crisis Continues
Within seven years, the price of insulin has climbed nearly 300 percent, costing diabetics hundreds of dollars a month, piling on already high premiums and copays. Lives are being shortened and sometimes immediately lost simply because this drug, which type ones cannot live without, is so expensive. Even those with a standard paycheck cannot afford it, and I myself have faced the real struggle of paying unbelievable prices for Humalog, an Eli Lilly product.
Eli Lilly #Insulin4All Demonstration
T1International, PFAM and several other organizations are banding together to raise awareness; using Eli Lilly, one of the major three insulin companies, as a starting focus. With bills for more transparency popping up in several states, we must keep the ball rolling by confronting major players in the insulin crisis.
From 1pm to 3pm on September 9, across from Eli Lilly Headquarters at 800 block of South Delaware, diabetes supporters will rally together to share personal struggles, statistics and inspiration in effort to further shift the drug transparency and #insulin4all movements. We will prompt Eli Lilly to be honest about their pricing; a reasonable request after prices continue to climb at profound rates. Ultimately, the intention is to see insulin prices drop to a more realistic and appropriate level, as its suspected that companies are making an unfairly generous profit on the life-saving product that was meant to be available to all after its discovery in 1922.
Make a Difference
Those wanting to strengthen the movement are invited to congregate; bringing signs that portray a constructive message while painting a clear picture to the public of the struggles those dependent on insulin face. Be creative, powerful yet exemplary. Take a look at the event Facebook page; updates and details will be posted.
Crunch Time
With our nation’s health care at a pivotal moment, demonstrations like these create a vital depiction for every citizen, not only diabetics. Many of those with illnesses struggle with affordability of medications; the #insulin4all campaign and demonstration will set an example for the future handling of all medical injustices. However, 30.3 million people in the US have some form of diabetes, and the rate is climbing. At some point, most everyone will be impacted by the disease.
Share your story or just show up to give your support. Transparency is a logically constructive pathway to seeing real change; once insulin companies have to explain why their prices are so high, we will see the unjust profits being made. This will likely reveal collusion, while bringing prices to where they should be.
Voices and stories of diabetics sent a shock wave through Nevada, and that is exactly what it will take to rattle the rest of the US. Stand up for yourself, your loved ones, those who’ve lost their lives; join us in our stance for #insulin4all. And if you can’t make it to the September 9 event, join us September 8 for our online day of action by calling out representatives, letting them know why #insulin4all is so important. Let’s do this, let’s be a part of real change.
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.
At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.
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