Bob Casey

But when we have conversations about insulin affordability, it is important for us not to assume a middle-class insured norm for the American population.

There is not one policy that will address the rising cost of prescription drugs.

It is becoming a barrier to treatment for so many Americans with diabetes who are unable to control their diabetes without insulin.

The time is now for both bold leadership and bipartisanship.

I view with significant concern the public health benefit of Medicaid expansion and the real risks of reduced coverage.

I founded the Senate Diabetes Caucus some 21 years ago after meeting in Maine with a family whose 10-year-old son had type 1 diabetes.

The sensitivity to that out-of-pocket cost for the insulin-depending patient is extraordinarily important.

No senior should have to go without life-saving medication.

I want to thank our witnesses for giving us the kind of information we are going to need to take action on this issue or range of issues.

It is astonishing that for a drug approaching 100 years old and that is serving millions of Americans that we do not see a proliferation of manufacturers but, rather, just three major manufacturers.

I live in a state where the Governor signed legislation to expand Medicaid, thankfully. Seven hundred thousand people, more than 700,000, have affordable coverage because of that act.

We must continue to protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act.

No senior should have to ration their insulin or choose between medication and food, simply because of the price of their medications.

I am committed to continuing to dig into this issue, but I will tell you, it is the most complex web that I have ever seen.

The horror of opioids in my State, as it is true I am sure of a number of States, it is very bad in urban areas and suburban areas.

I know as we work to come together on a Farm Bill, one of the areas we are going to be concentrating on...

It is a huge problem.

In those rural communities, the last number that--and this gets updated, as you know, by the FCC, I guess on an annual basis. The last number I saw was 471,000 rural Pennsylvanians--just rural Pennsylvanians--do not have access to…

I wish to extend my support for the State of Israel in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of its founding. Since its independence in 1948, Israel's promotion of democratic values has helped forge a thriving society and represents…

That is very helpful; thank you.

I know that we hear a lot about the barriers to accessing treatment being stigma, limited availability of providers, high out-of-pocket costs.

In one rural county I was in back in August... the coroner saying we do not have enough places to put the bodies.

This opioid and, frankly, a larger substance use disorder crisis is hitting every State.

This is obviously both a complicated issue but an issue of great consequence to the people affected.

In Pennsylvania---- they have developed a tracking system, a guardianship tracking system that is actually being implemented this year.