The Inflation Reduction Act ’s attempt to improve insulin costs for Medicare beneficiaries—by capping out-of-pocket costs at $35—was associated with lower out-of-pocket costs and increased insulin usage, but only for a small portion of U.S. patients, according to a new study published in JAMA on Saturday.
In an analysis of the insulin costs and use since cap took effect in 2023, researchers from Emory University , University of Southern California , and University of Wisconsin-Madison compared the before and after out-of-post cost per 30-day insulin supply, 30-day insulin fills, adherence, and persistence of the more than 2.8 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries using insulin.
Key Findings
Why This Matters
When insulin users skip prescribed doses to save money, it can put patients with diabetes at risk of avoidable and potentially life-threatening adverse health outcomes.
The findings of this study—which was funded by a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases grant—suggest the importance of further policies to boost insulin affordability. According to data released by The IQVIA Institute , a universal $35 cap on all insulin prescriptions would have saved insulin users in the United States $170 million in out-of-pocket costs in 2024.
What The Experts Say
“Insulin users who previously faced high insulin costs improved their adherence to insulin after the cap, suggesting they had been skipping doses to save money. However, many Medicare patients already paid low prices. Future out-of-pocket caps will have the largest impact if they can target patients facing high out-of-pocket costs, such as people who are uninsured,” says Rebecca Myerson, PhD , associate professor of health policy and management at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.
“Making sure patients take their medication should be a greater clinical priority. This research demonstrates a powerful policy lever for doing so: reducing their out-of-pocket costs,” says co-author Dana Goldman, PhD , founding director of the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service.
JAMA
Insulin Costs and Use by Medicare Beneficiaries After the Inflation Reduction Act Out-of-Pocket Cap
6-Jun-2026