BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York State lawmakers have given the green light to the state's $237 billion budget.
Some major wins for the governor when it comes to housing and cracking down on crime, and New Yorker's health care.
Investment in Medicaid, boost for maternal health and eliminating co-pays for insulin, all were announced with the passing of the budget.
According to the state's Department of Health, around 1.6 million New Yorkers have been diagnosed with diabetes.
A majority rely on insulin every day.
New York capped insulin co-payments at $35 for a 30-day supply.
That co-payment will now ring up to zero, estimated to save New Yorkers more than $400 a year.
A diabetes expert weighed in on the impact this access will have.
"It's very exciting to see New York is taking this step," Kaleida Health Diabetes Center Medical Director Dr. Ajay Chaudhuri said.
New York State lawmakers have eliminated the co-pay for insulin purchases statewide.
This makes the Empire State the first in the nation to do so, according to the American Diabetes Association.
It is something Assemblymember Monica Wallace has been pushing for in budget negotiations since January.
"We know that's a really big burden on folks who have diabetes or loved ones who do, or children who do, so no one is going to have to pay a co-pay. So, no one will have to pay for that which I think is a big win," Assemblymember Wallace said.
So what is insulin? The short answer is that it is a hormone that lowers the level of glucose, which is a type of sugar, in the blood.
It is made by the beta cells of the pancreas and released into the blood when the glucose level goes up, such as after eating.
More than 10% of New Yorkers, about 500,000 people, rely on insulin every day.
Dr. Chaudhuri and University at Buffalo Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Chief said patients will now have more options.
He is used to sending people across the border because insulin is usually cheaper in Canada.
"This is going to be a tremendous advantage for people who are living with diabetes where insulin is a very essential medication, which can kind of make the difference between life and death if you are taking it or not," Dr. Chaudhuri said.
If folks are unable to afford insulin, he said they are usually rationing.
"Meaning they are reducing the amount of insulin that they are taking so that they can maintain that supply for a longer period of time. When they do that, their sugars are not under control and they are more prone to develop the complications of diabetes and become hospitalized with very high blood sugars," Dr. Chaudhuri said.
