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WASHINGTON, DC - March 16, 2023 - The National Indian Health Board thanks President Biden and Eli Lilly for their actions to reduce the patient cost of insulin. Biden’s January 2023 initiative to cap insulin costs for Medicare enrollees over 65 will ensure that many American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) on Medicare will have access to life-saving medication. By reducing the personal cost of insulin, we expect to see improved insulin access, better diabetes management, and reduced hospitalizations within our Tribal populations. NIHB also supports the President’s request to Congress to cap insulin costs for all Americans, regardless of insurance provider or insulin manufacturer.
“Thank you, President Biden, for taking much needed action on diabetes medication costs,” said William Smith, Chairman of the National Indian Health Board. “The rising costs of insulin has prevented access to these medications, and this will save American Indian and Alaskan Native lives.”
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are disproportionately impacted by diabetes. According to the Office of Minority Health, AI/AN adults are nearly 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, and 2.3 times more likely to die from diabetes related complications compared to non-Hispanic whites. This new price cap is expected to have a particularly strong impact on the cost sharing by AI/AN people who do not have access to Indian Health Service, Tribal, or Urban Indian (I/T/U) healthcare facilities. As Tribal communities are often rural, many Native people seek healthcare outside the I/T/U system. An estimated 94.8% of AI/AN over 65 years of age are enrolled in Medicare and will now be able to access insulin at a lower cost, regardless of where they receive their care[1].
Insulin is just one important tool for combatting diabetes. The implementation of diabetes education and prevention activities, the creation of resources that support healthy habits and Indigenous food sovereignty, and other key interventions such as foot and eye care have led to significantly improved diabetes outcomes for AI/AN people, including a reduced overall prevalence of diabetes. The Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) has been key in securing these resources for AI/AN people and has been one of the most effective public health programs in improving outcomes in the history of the United States. Unfortunately, SDPI expires on September 30, and faces challenges including flat funding and instability due to short term congressional reauthorizations.
“We need SDPI now more than ever as more Native Indians and Alaskan Natives will die if Congress does not reauthorize it permanently and increase the annual funding,” said Stacy Bohlen, CEO of the National Indian Health Board. “We celebrate this win with the Biden administration, but Congress must continue to support the battle against diabetes by reauthorizing SDPI and supporting Tribal priorities.”
Read more about President Biden’s insulin cap here.
You can learn more about SDPI at www.nihb.org/sdpi.
[1] United States Census Bureau. (2023) ACS 5-Year Estimates Public Use Microdata Sample, Vintage 2021. https://data.census.gov/mdat/#/.
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Established by the Tribes to advocate as the united voice of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, NIHB seeks to reinforce Tribal sovereignty, strengthen Tribal health systems, secure resources, and build capacity to achieve the highest level of health and well-being for our People.
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