Some diabetics pay about $1000 a month for insulin, which is critical to their survival.

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill that empowers Medicare to negotiate reductions in prescription drugs, such as insulin, a life-saving diabetes drug that could cost families thousands of dollars a year.

U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, and state Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa,called on Congress to reduce prescription drug costs.

They joined the advocacy group protect our lives in Florida at a webinar on Friday and talked to people struggling with insulin companies demanding high prices for diabetes drugs.

Chris Clark of Tallahassee talked about the debilitating diseases he experienced in the early stages of diabetes diagnosis because he was unable to afford insulin.

He made an account: he said he had to pay about $1000 a month for insulin and related derivatives such as Disposable Insulin Syringe for 16 years."That's 192000 dollars out of my pocket to keep me alive; If I don't take insulin, I'll die. " Clark said.

House Democrats are reviewing the immediate cost reduction act, which gives Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug costs. They passed the bill last year but died in the US Senate.

"I will continue to fight with my colleague, Representative Kathy Castor, in the energy and Commerce Committee to get this bill out of the house of Representatives," Soto vowed.

Cruz has not been able to get her bill to limit the cost of insulin to the $100 a month ceiling approved by the Florida legislature at this session.

She shared the stories of families who were forced to give insulin doses and said emergency room doctors told her that they often treated patients who died of diabetic shock because they were unable to get drugs.

"We will continue to lose lives until we force drug makers and healthcare companies to figure something out," Cruz said“ We know that health insurance is not a privilege; That's right. "

Meredith Rosser, whose son has diabetes, expressed frustration that lawmakers have so far refused to help families get life-saving drugs."We're talking about the insulin that keeps my kids alive, so it's a game for them, I think they want us to beg, and I'm very tired of begging for their lives and future," she said Said although tears.

In a recent joint address to Congress, President Joe Biden told members of Congress to make it a priority to reduce the cost of drugs through legislation.

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