Mindy Goes to the White House!

By Mindy Salango, WV CAG Healthcare Organizer

I was honored to be invited to the White House to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which highlighted the $35 insulin copay cap for Medicare recipients. This invitation recognizes my years of advocacy for affordable insulin, including speaking to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability in 2022 and participating in several events with Senator Klobuchar.

During my visit, I heard stories from diabetics and doctors telling how the IRA has transformed and saved lives. One patient was paying $2,000 per month for her insulin alone. With the insulin copay cap, she can save money to visit her grandchildren, and they don’t have to budget as tightly as before. Another patient explained how she can now make healthier choices and not eat as many cheap processed foods with her savings on insulin. Both of the doctors who spoke stated that calls from patients terrified about how they were going to afford their insulin each month have significantly reduced, leading to better outcomes for their diabetic patients.  

These stories highlight the importance of affordable insulin for everyone. I was heartened to hear that VP Harris understands the work remains unfinished and that we need to expand on this work so that insulin costs for all diabetics are capped. While the government has announced the first ten drugs that will fall under the IRA cost reduction measures for Medicare, as with insulin, we need to ensure that all those who need medication can affordably obtain it.  

That is simply putting people over profit and care over cost!

Are you interested in, working on, or experiencing issues related to healthcare? Let’s talk! Your voice is crucial in this discussion. I want to meet with folks in WV and beyond to discuss the issues you are facing, how you or your groups are combating them, or what you are interested in doing to make healthcare more equitable.  

We can meet for coffee, lunch, or a Zoom chat — whatever works best for you. I just want to hear your ideas and learn what matters to you!

You can schedule directly in my calendar or email me at mindy@wvcag.org. I’m excited to talk with you!