In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open , researchers examined the relationship between Colorado's $100 copayment maximum and self-expenditure, medication compliance, and health service usage for diabetes-associated comorbidities. Background Diabetes is the most expensive chronic ailment in the United States, and type 1 disease needs lifetime insulin therapy. Insulin costs have plateaued despite manufacturer cuts, but list prices are ten times higher than in most other nations.
This economic burden has resulted in 25 states and the District of Columbia passing legislation reducing insulin copayments for state-regulated commercial health insurance plans. Colorado was the first state to impose an insulin copayment limit, although empirical research on the association between these policies and health outcomes is scarce. About the study In the present study, researchers evaluated the impact of the statewide $100 insulin copayment capping policy from Colorado's Insulin Affordability Program on self-expenditure, treatment compliance, and the use of healthcare services for diabetes complications.
Approximately 38 million individuals have diabetes, and more than 7 million use 1 or more formulations of insulin The study exposure included enrollment in state-regulated health insurance policies abiding by the insulin copayment cap law enacted on January 1, 2020. The primary outcome measures were basal and bolus insulin adherence, self-expenditure, and healthcare usage for diab.