Warnock negotiates bill to cap out-of-pocket insulin cost. What it means for Columbus
U.S. Sens. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Kennedy (R-LA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act of 2026 on Wednesday.
This bill caps out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month for private insurance holders nationwide and helps decrease insulin costs for uninsured diabetics to $35 or lower, according to the news release. The bill builds on Warnock’s previous legislation that capped insulin costs to $35 for patients on Medicare.
In an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer, Warnock expressed his continued dedication to passing legislation for patients with diabetes.
“I’m focused on diabetes because the disease itself is a window into the larger landscape of the crisis that we have around chronic disease in the country and the devastating impact on families and the drain on our health care system,” he said.
As part of this bill, Warnock also introduced language to include a 10-state pilot program. Eligible states can apply to receive federal funding for community health centers to provide insulin to uninsured patients. The 10 selected states have not been specified yet.
The bill also creates an insulin resource center and hotline to connect uninsured people with diabetes to resources they need.
“This deal is a result of years of hard work and principled conversation between me and my counterparts,” Warnock said. “This 10-state pilot program will potentially cover millions of people. I think it will provide the lessons we need to figure out where we go from there to cover even more people.”
Warnock also spoke about the struggles people have to afford insulin. He said constituents have shared stories about rationing their insulin and leveraging online communities to get more supplies.
“I’m responding to the voice of urgency that I hear from my constituents,” he said. “I’ve seen this up close as a pastor. I spent much of my career making the rounds and visiting hospitals to see the sick, and I’ve seen the devastating impact of diabetes on people. It can be a horrible and devastating disease.”
Rising cost of insulin
Costs for diabetic patients have greatly increased. Insulin prices nearly doubled from 2012 to 2021, with the average price for a 30-day supply of insulin rising from $271 to $499, according to the Health Care Costs Institute. Diabetics account for $1 of every $4 spent on health care in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Dr. Edward Salzberg, a pediatrician at Roswell Pediatric Center, spoke to the Ledger-Enquirer about the importance of this legislation.
“When a kid develops diabetes, the parents have the financial burden, starting on that day,” Salzberg said. “Insulin is a life-saving medication, and there are so many patients in the country that can’t afford it. This gap is costing people their health and sometimes their lives.”
About 11% of Georgia’s population has diabetes, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, with about 63,000 adults believed to be undiagnosed. Diabetes prevalence in Columbus is significant. The latest Muscogee County Community Health Assessment shows diabetes complications account for 31.2% of causes of death in the region.
“The same communities in the country with the highest disease burden of diabetes, they’re the ones facing the biggest barriers to care,” Salzberg said. “There are companies that are trying to lower the cost of insulin, but that’s voluntary and not permanent.”
About 13% of residents under 65 are uninsured in Muscogee County, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
“There’s so much more that we can do for diabetes,” Salzberg said, “but it starts with insulin.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2026 at 2:44 PM.