Senate bill caps insulin costs at $35 a month for insured and uninsured Americans
In committeeS. 4512Latest action
Sponsor: John Kennedy · Senator · LA
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2026
119th Congress
Topics: Health care
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
The plain-language version comes first. The official text is always the reference.
S 4512 would cap insulin costs at $35/month starting Jan. 1, 2027, for both privately insured and uninsured Americans.
70-second read · 5 questions answered below
What does this do?
Starting January 1, 2027, S 4512 would limit out-of-pocket insulin costs to $35 per month for people with private health insurance, with no deductible required before the cap applies. If the negotiated price of insulin is already below $35, the patient's cost would instead be capped at 25 percent of that negotiated price. A separate program would allow doctors' offices and pharmacies to provide insulin to uninsured patients for no more than $35 per month, with the federal government reimbursing providers for the difference between $35 and the actual cost.
Who does it affect?
The bill directly affects the roughly 8 million Americans who use insulin to manage diabetes, whether covered by an employer plan, a self-purchased plan, or no insurance at all. Health insurers, employers who provide health benefits, pharmacies, and doctors' offices would also need to change how they handle insulin pricing and billing.
Why does it matter?
Providers who choose to participate in the uninsured program would be barred from billing uninsured patients more than $35 and would rely on federal reimbursement to cover remaining costs. Insurers and employers would be required to restructure insulin cost-sharing arrangements so that deductibles no longer delay access to the cap.
What does it cost, and who pays?
The federal government would reimburse participating pharmacies and doctors' offices for the difference between the $35 patient charge and the actual cost of insulin provided to uninsured patients. Payments made by insured patients under the cap still count toward their annual deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.
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Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedMay 13, 2026
- Senate committeeYou are here · May 13, 2026
- Senate vote
- House
- The president's desk
Right now: a Senate committee is reviewing it. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.