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Eli Lilly will immediately cap the price of insulin at $35, even for people who have no insurance. The cap will benefit 8.4 million Americans; a number that is growing. Already, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in America.

The cap lowers the price by 70%. Ely Lilly says no matter how much an insurance company pays, and even if someone has no insurance, the out-of-pocket cost will be $35. That is less than a third of the average price people pay currently.

To put the news into context, last year the American Diabetes Association said, “Insulin costs 10 times more in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. And as many as 1 in 4 insulin users report rationing their insulin — skipping doses or taking less than they need, putting themselves at risk for serious and even deadly complications. In the diabetes community, which includes an outsized number of low-income Americans and for whom insulin means the difference between life and death, the rising cost of insulin is unsustainable.”

Lilly’s announcement says:

“While the current healthcare system provides access to insulin for most people with diabetes, it still does not provide affordable insulin for everyone and that needs to change,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly’s Chair and CEO. “The aggressive price cuts we’re announcing today should make a real difference for Americans with diabetes. Because these price cuts will take time for the insurance and pharmacy system to implement, we are taking the additional step to immediately cap out-of-pocket costs for patients who use Lilly insulin and are not covered by the recent Medicare Part D cap.”

In addition to reducing the list price of its insulins, Lilly is making it easier for more people with diabetes to get Lilly insulins:

• Effective immediately, Lilly will automatically cap out-of-pocket costs at $35 at participating retail pharmacies for people with commercial insurance using Lilly insulin.
• People who don’t have insurance can continue to go to InsulinAffordability.com and immediately download the Lilly Insulin Value Program savings card to receive Lilly insulins for $35 per month.

The price of insulin has risen fast in recent years. The American Diabetes Association says the price tripled between 2002 and 2013 and went up another 54% between 2014 and 2019.

Lilly’s announcement is getting applause from diabetes patient advocates and reflects increased competition in the insulin drug market.

NBC News points out, “Civica Rx, a nonprofit company in Lehi, Utah, said last year that it plans to make and sell generic versions of insulin to consumers at no more than $30 a vial and no more than $55 for a box of five pen cartridges. The state of California also plans to make low-cost insulin, as does Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co., which sells drugs at low costs online.”

The move does not just address the current high price of insulin, but also the growing need for the drug. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in America.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says:

• More than 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them don’t know they have it.
• 96 million US adults—over a third—have prediabetes, and more than 8 in 10 of them don’t know they have it.
• Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States (and may be underreported).
• Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes; type 1 diabetes accounts for approximately 5-10%.
• In the last 20 years, the number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled as the American population has aged and become more overweight or obese.
• Medical costs and lost work and wages for people with diagnosed diabetes total $327 billion yearly.
• Medical costs for people with diabetes are twice as high as for people who don’t have diabetes.

Research published in The Lancet says what is unfolding in the U.S. is reflected globally:

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing chronic diseases in the world, with major effects on both people with diabetes and wider society. In 2019, worldwide diabetes prevalence was estimated at 9.3%.

Although the global diabetes pandemic is largely due to type 2 diabetes, the incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing by 2–3% per year.

Onset of type 1 diabetes occurs mainly in young people, with 60% of new cases occurring before the age of 30 years.

Diabetes also affects people of color at a higher rate. The American Diabetes Association provides this data:

The rates of diagnosed diabetes in adults by race/ethnic background are:

14.5% of American Indians/Alaskan Natives

12.1% of non-Hispanic blacks

11.8% of Hispanics

9.5% of Asian Americans

7.4% of non-Hispanic whites

A concerning rise in colorectal cancer among young people

The American Cancer Society said Wednesday that 20% of new colorectal cancer diagnoses in 2019 were in patients under 55, which is double the rate from 1995 (11%). Colon cancer is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

Some other new data:

• Incidence rates for advanced disease have increased by about 3% annually in people younger 50 years of age and 0.5%-2% annually in people 50-64 years of age since around 2010
• In 2023, there will be an estimated 153,020 new cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosed in the US and 52,550 people will die from the disease, including 19,550 diagnoses and 3,750 deaths in individuals younger than age 50 years of age.
• The CRC incidence rate in the US was 33% higher in men (41.5 per 100,000) than in women (31.2 per 100,000) during 2015-2019 (Figure 4), likely reflecting differences in risk factor prevalence, such as excess body weight and processed meat consumption

The American Cancer Society says, “CRC is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the United States. However, it ranks second in cancer-related deaths overall and is the leading cause of cancer death in men younger than 50 years of age. More than half of all CRCs are attributable to modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, an unhealthy diet, high alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and excess body weight. In addition, a large proportion of CRC incidence and mortality is preventable through the receipt of regular screening, surveillance, and high-quality treatment.”

Chicago voters signal to the rest of the country: Crime is an issue, but there are others

Big city mayors do not usually lose reelection races, so politicians nationwide are paying attention to how Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot didn’t even make the run-off election this week. She was elected on promises to control Chicago’s crime.

Chicago saw 500 murders in 2019 and 776 murders in 2020. That number rose again in 2021 to 804 murders. Shootings and carjackings also rose. Murders dropped by 13% in 2022, but overall crime rose by 12%. Car thefts almost doubled in 2022.

The Council on Criminal Justice provides data that should concern anybody running for office in major American cities:

(Council on Criminal Justice)

(Council on Criminal Justice)

But as the Chicago Sun-Times points out, there was more behind voters’ displeasure:

Lightfoot opposed the elected school board after saying she’d support it; failed to deliver the transparency she had promised; and broke her pledge to raise the real estate transfer tax on high-end home sales to create a dedicated funding source to reduce homelessness.

The Bidens ordered the same thing at a restaurant — and people lost their minds

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden recently went out to dinner and both ordered rigatoni. The first couple seems to have violated some social order that says when couples dine out they shall not order the same thing and people are not having it.

Washingtonian food editor Jessica Sidman tweeted:

There are 2 types of couples in this world: those who order the same dish at a restaurant and those who would never ever dare… I would definitely glare at my husband if he ordered the same thing as me because obviously we need to try as much of the menu as possible! https://t.co/35KbHafvXh

— Jessica Sidman (@jsidman) February 19, 2023

Others piled on:

I have honestly never heard of a couple – married or otherwise – who order the EXACT same at a restaurant.#Biden https://t.co/r1mStxrQbv

— Tripp Whitbeck (@trippwhitbeck) February 19, 2023

Perhaps when it comes to the Bidens’ pasta order the president is just a hopeless ramen-tic.

Taking into consideration where they were eating and what they ordered, Sidman gives the Bidens a bit of a break:

Surely even the staunchest plate-sharers can appreciate doubling down on a truly great dish. And the Red Hen’s rigatoni is a signature must-order that’s been on the menu since the restaurant opened a decade ago. It’s one of the few exceptions where getting two plates might actually be the ultimate power move.

My wife and I have an understanding that goes something like, “I will order what I want and you can order what you want without my input except if what you order is gross, stinks or will require a mortgage.” You know, good Italian food can cost a pretty penne.