2022: Schweikert Voted Against Capping Insulin Covered Under Medicare At $35 Per Month. In August 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against concurring in the Senate amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which would "cap cost-sharing for insulin products covered under Medicare at $35 a month." The vote was on a motion to concur. The House concurred with the Senate by a vote 220-207, thus the bill was sent to President Biden for final signage. President Biden signed the bill and it ultimately became law. [House Vote 420, 8/12/22; Congressional Quarterly, 8/12/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5376]
Senate Republicans Only Challenged The Insulin Cap For Private Insurances, Not The $35 Monthly Cap For Medicare. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Republicans did not challenge the $35 monthly cap for Medicare and that remains in the legislation as the Senate continues votes that began just before midnight on Saturday." [Congressional Quarterly, 8/7/22]
According To The Kaiser Family Foundation, 53% Of Americans Believe Congress Should Prioritize Capping Insulin Costs. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Insulin caps are popular among voters. Roughly 37 million Americans have diabetes, and a recent poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 53 percent of Americans said that capping insulin costs should be Congress' No. 1 priority. As Democrats seek to hold their majority in the November midterm elections, the vote gives them a new talking point." [Congressional Quarterly, 8/7/22]
Senate Republicans Were Successful In Removing The Provision That Capped Insulin Costs At $35 Per Month For Commercial Health Plans. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Senate Republicans were able to strike a $35 monthly cap for insulin costs in the private insurance market from the Democrats' health care, tax and climate package on Sunday morning, putting lawmakers on the record on a politically popular policy provision ahead of a contested midterm election. Seven Republicans joined Democrats: Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi and Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska. But the 57-43 vote to waive budget rules fell short of the 60-vote threshold needed, and the $35 insulin cost cap for commercial health plans was removed from the measure (HR 5376)." [Congressional Quarterly, 8/7/22]
2022: Schweikert Voted Against The Affordable Insulin Now Act, Which Required Private Insurances And Medicare To Cover Certain Insulin Products, Prohibit Deductibles For Insulin, And Cap Cost-Sharing For Such Insulin Products Beginning In 2023. In March 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would "require private health insurance and Medicare to cover certain insulin products and limit cost-sharing requirements for such products for plans beginning in 2023. Specifically, it would require private insurance plans to cover at least one of each dosage form of each type of insulin, such as short-acting, long-acting and premixed insulin; prohibit the plans from applying a deductible for the insulin products; and cap cost-sharing for the insulin products at the lesser of $35 or 25 percent of the plan's negotiated price for the product per 30-day supply. For Medicare plans, it would similarly prohibit the application of a deductible for covered insulin products and cap copayments at $35 per 30-day supply." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 232-193, thus the bill was sent to the Senate. The bill was passed by the Senate and both chambers are resolving differences. The bill was turned into the Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 and that version ultimately became law. [House Vote 102, 3/31/22; Congressional Quarterly, 3/31/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6833]
The Measure Would Cap Insulin Costs At Either $35 Per Month Or 25% Of A Health Insurance Plan's Negotiated Costs Beginning In 2023. According to NPR, "The Affordable Insulin Now Act would cap insulin prices at either $35 a month or 25% of an insurance plan's negotiated price --- whichever is lower. The legislation would take effect in 2023 but its fate in the Senate remains unclear." [NPR, 3/31/22]
Opponents Of The Bill Claimed The Insulin Cap Would Not Be Enough To Address The Underlying Issue Of Increased Prescription Drug Costs. According to NPR, "Critics of the bill argue the cap alone doesn't do enough to solve the underlying problem of rising prescription drug prices." [NPR, 3/31/22]
According To The Health Care Cost Institute, Insulin Prices Doubled Between 2012 And 2016. According to NPR, "Advocates of the legislation point to data from the Health Care Cost Institute, an independent nonprofit that studies health care prices, which shows prices for insulin doubled between 2012 and 2016." [NPR, 3/31/22]
Republicans Claimed The Bill Would Increase Premiums And Worsen Inflation. According to NBC News, "Republicans argue that the measure wouldn't adequately address rising prescription drug prices and that it would raise premiums and worsen inflation." [NBC News, 3/31/22]
AHIP, A National Trade Association, Claimed The Bill Would Not Lower Insulin Costs But Instead Cost-Shift By Increasing Premiums And Copays. According to NBC News, "The measure also faces industry opposition. AHIP, a national trade association whose members provide health care coverage and services, blasted the bill in a statement Thursday. 'While health insurance providers work to reduce insulin costs, this policy unfortunately does nothing to lower the price of insulin but simply shifts costs to others through higher insurance premiums and copays,' the organization said." [NBC News, 3/31/22]
2022: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against The Affordable Insulin Now Act. In March 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for the "Bucshon, R-Ind., motion to recommit the bill to the House Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means and Education and Labor Committees." The vote was on a motion to recommit. The House rejected the motion by a vote of 197-225. [House Vote 101, 3/31/22; Congressional Quarterly, 3/31/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6833]
2022: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against The Affordable Insulin Now Act. In March 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the "adoption of the rule (H Res 1017) that would provide for House floor consideration of [...] the Affordable Insulin Now Act (HR 6833). The rule would provide for up to one hour of general debate on each bill." The vote was on the adoption of the rule. The House adopted the rule by a vote of 219-202. [House Vote 99, 3/31/22; Congressional Quarterly, 3/31/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6833; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 1017]
2022: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against An Amendment That Would Remove A Provision That Provided $1.5 Million For FY 2022 To The Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services For Costs Associated With The Limit Of Cost-Sharing And Prohibiting Deductibles For Insulin Products Covered Under Medicare. In March 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert effectively voted against the manager's amendment to the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would "strike from the bill a provision that would provide $1.5 million for fiscal 2022 for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to cover costs associated with the bill's provisions to limit cost-sharing and prohibit deductibles for insulin products covered under Medicare prescription drug plans." The vote was on the adoption of the rule. The House adopted the rule by a vote of 219-202, thus the manager's amendment was automatically adopted. [House Vote 99, 3/31/22; Congressional Quarterly, 3/31/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6833; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 1017]
2022: Schweikert Effectively Voted Against The Affordable Insulin Now Act. In March 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted against the "motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate and possibility of amendment) on the rule (H Res 1017) that would provide for House floor consideration of [...] the Affordable Insulin Now Act (HR 6833). The rule would provide for up to one hour of general debate on each bill." The vote was on a motion to order the previous question. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 219-202. [House Vote 98, 3/31/22; Congressional Quarterly, 3/31/22; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6833; Congressional Actions, H.Res. 1017]