Summary
More than seven million Americans rely on insulin and prices for the life-saving drug have sky-rocketed. With pressure mounting on pharmaceutical companies to address the cost of diabetes care, Eli Lilly announced it’s cutting prices for its most popular insulin products by 70% and capping out-of-pocket costs at $35 a month. Bram Sable-Smith of Kaiser Health News joined Geoff Bennett to discuss. For a transcript of this story, click here . News wrap alternative : Check out the latest segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching! You can make a Google doc copy of our Five Facts and discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.Five Facts
- What is insulin, and who uses it?
- Why has the price of insulin increased so much in recent years?
- Who is interviewed for this story, and what is his background?
- W hat company makes insulin?
- How might public pressure have led to lower insulin prices?
Focus Questions
What role do you think the government should have in setting or lowering drug prices? What role can consumers have in lowering drug prices? Media literacy : Why do you think Eli Lilly is taking this action after so many years of high insulin prices? Was this clearly explained in the video? Alternative : See, Think, Wonder : What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?For More
What students can do: Read this story on the actions Congress took to lower the price of insulin. First, note the date of the article. Why do you think it took a year for the legislation to result in Eli Lilly reducing prices for insulin across the board? What limitations did the bill have in reducing drug prices?
Student Video of the Day: "Student Reporting Labs election issue: healthcare" via Student Reporting Labs
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