New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed laws into regulation yesterday that can scale back the excessive price of life-saving epinephrine auto-injectors for shoppers with business medical health insurance. The brand new regulation mandates insurers cowl the gadgets and caps out-of-pocket bills at $100 per yr.
Epinephrine is the one drug that may halt and reverse the development of anaphylaxis, a extreme, life-threatening allergic response to a meals, drug, insect venom, or environmental allergen.
The price of a two-pack of EpiPen model auto-injectors from Mylan skyrocketed from $60 in 2007 to over $600 right this moment, a lot in order that the CEO of Mylan, Heather Bresch, was known as to testify earlier than Congress in 2016.
Mentioned Hochul in a press release:
For folks with extreme allergy symptoms, instant entry to an EpiPen gadget can imply the distinction between life and dying. When each second counts, the very last thing New Yorkers ought to have to fret about is whether or not they can afford the treatment they should survive an anaphylactic response. By signing this invoice, we’re placing folks over revenue and giving New Yorkers peace of thoughts by making certain equitable entry to this lifesaving emergency remedy
The brand new regulation, designated S.7114-A by the state senate, requires well being insurers within the particular person and group markets — together with non-profits and HMOs — to cowl medically obligatory epinephrine gadgets and restrict complete out-of-pocket bills to $100.
Regardless of the laws mandating epinephrine auto-injectors and excluding different emergency epinephrine gadgets like nasal sprays, SnackSafely.com celebrates this new regulation and urges legislators in different states to sponsor related laws to guard their constituents with extreme allergy symptoms.