Nina Kritzberger, 16, speaks before the Government and Veteran Affairs Committee in favor of an insulin cap for the North Dakota commercial insurance market on Jan. 9, 2025. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)
(North Dakota Monitor) – A bill to lower the price of insulin drugs and supplies for more North Dakotans attracted passionate discussion at a Thursday hearing before the House Government and Veteran Affairs Committee.
House Bill 1114 would set out-of-pocket costs for a monthly supply of insulin at $25 for the North Dakota commercial insurance market. It would also institute a $25 monthly cap for medical supplies used to administer insulin.
The new caps would affect North Dakotans on individual, small group and large group insurance plans within the fully insured market. The bill doesn’t apply to the self-insured market.
A group of advocates said the cap would be life-saving for people with diabetes, who depend on insulin to survive
Nina Kritzberger, 16, said living with Type 1 diabetes is to live a life of uncertainty. Though her family’s insurance plan covers part of her expenses, she doesn’t know what kind of coverage she’ll have as an adult.
“There’s one thing in the back of my mind that I think about every day: If this bill doesn’t pass, I might not be here in the future,” Kritzberger, who lives in Hillsboro, said Thursday.
Danelle Johnson of Horace said both she and her daughter, Danika, live with diabetes. She told lawmakers her family still spends thousands of dollars on diabetes-related expenses
“It’s been over $10,000 every year since my daughter has been diagnosed,” she said.
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