Colin Allred: “I received a letter recently from Paul Rozinsky of Richardson, Texas. Paul is 81 and uses Medicare Advantage. He has…”

“I received a letter recently from Paul Rozinsky of Richardson, Texas. Paul is 81 and uses Medicare Advantage. He has type 2 diabetes. In his letter, he says that there are two identical versions of insulin; one is $140 and the other is $24.88, made on a special contract for Walmart. Paul can't get access to the cheaper drug because it isn't on the insurer's drug list. He wrote to his insurer about an exception to his tiered pricing so that he could qualify for the cheaper version. They rejected it with a note, saying: ``We apologize for the inconvenience.'' That is unacceptable and far too common. In fact, one in four patients with diabetes are rationing their insulin because of higher costs. We must do better for Paul and millions like him who need access to cheaper medicines. This Congress must act and sign into legislation law that lowers costs and simplifies the process so it is easy to use. Access to healthcare shouldn't be a partisan issue. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and get something done this year to address the cost of prescription drugs. ____________________”