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During a time when working families struggle with costs, David Valadao voted against H.R. 6833, the Affordable Insulin Now bill, which would cap the cost of insulin at $35.
Despite the fact that insulin production is $2.28 to $3.42, the market price can range from $180 to $350 per vial.
In an op-ed over the weekend, a constituent took Big Pharma crony David Valadao to task for his unconscionable vote. Portions of Valadao’s district suffer from the highest rates of diabetes-related deaths in the state. Yet, when it was time to vote in the interest of those who elected him, Valadao sided with multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical companies.
Read more from his constituent below:
Bakersfield.com: Community Voices: Reducing the financial pain of a chronic condition
By Suzanne Villaruz
July 17, 2022
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A full tank of gas now costs me $85. The grocery bill, even with just the basics like milk and bread, creeps higher and higher. Day-to-day life is getting more expensive. This is especially true when I replenish my monthly supply of insulin to control my blood sugar.
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Diabetes is the most expensive chronic medical condition in this country. The price of insulin nearly tripled between 2002 and 2013. One in four Americans living with diabetes rations their insulin in order to pay for other everyday costs like rent and food, according to the American Diabetes Association.
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Politicians in Washington, D.C., are considering a bill that would cap insulin costs at $35. At that price, millions of Americans living with diabetes would see their personal finances change dramatically for the better. No longer would patients have to face terrible decisions between paying for their medication and making rent.
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The bill passed, despite a “no” vote from our local Rep. David Valadao, R-Bakersfield. Valadao joined 192 of his colleagues in rejecting efforts to cap insulin prices. With this vote, the congressman sided with multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical companies, not the working families who face the burden of paying for this life-saving drug.
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This is particularly offensive when one considers the health challenges we face here in Kern County.
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Kern County has 2,198 emergency department visits and 998 hospitalizations each year due to diabetes. There are 248 diabetes-related deaths a year, and more than $84 million in hospital charges.
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