Politician diagnosed with diabetes introduces bill to cap insulin prices

Empathy often grows from personal struggles, turning pain into a bridge of understanding that connects us. For James Talarico, an American politician and former teacher known on X as @jamestalarico, his journey with Type 1 diabetes became a catalyst for meaningful action. After his diagnosis in 2021, Talarico introduced House Bill 40 (HB 40), which aims to cap insulin prices.

"Three years ago, I almost slipped into a coma and died. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I paid $684 for my first 30-day supply of insulin. Some pay $1,000+ a month. Many die without it. Today, I introduced legislation to cap the price of insulin at $50 a month," Talarico shared in a tweet. At a bipartisan press conference, he publicly revealed his diagnosis for the first time, emphasizing the urgency of affordable insulin for others facing the same struggle.

Talarico’s diagnosis came as a shock. In 2018, while running for his seat in the Texas House, he campaigned by walking the length of his district—a 25-mile trek. At the time, the 28-year-old was in excellent health and had no concerns about the challenge. "I hiked Big Bend every year, so I was not worried about a 25-mile walk," he recalled. However, midway through the journey, he began feeling "fatigued" and "nauseous," symptoms he would later recognize as signs of the diabetes that had gone undiagnosed.

"Right before the town hall in Hutto, Texas, I vomited in the bathroom. I figured out I was severely dehydrated, so I changed my shirt, drank some water and continued walking," he remembered. During the last 12 miles of his journey, his condition deteriorated significantly. He vomited four more times but somehow managed to complete his political campaign. Believing he just needed a "good night's sleep," the lawmaker went home and ended up sleeping for 36 hours, totally unaware of the extent of his physical condition. "My parents got concerned and rushed me to the emergency room where nurses checked my blood sugar and normal blood glucose level is below 100 and mine was 900. I was immediately diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes," he recounted.

Talarico suffered from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which led him to spend 5 days in the ICU. "All I know is my pancreas abruptly stopped working. I was in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is a life-threatening condition that ends in coma and death without insulin," the Texas State Representative revealed. While Talarico was able to recover fully after that emergency hospitalization, he was stunned looking at the cost of insulin. Even with health insurance, Talarico paid a whopping amount of $684 in the first month of insulin supply. The politician acknowledged that while he was fortunate to be able to afford the expensive insulin shots, many die without receiving treatment. 

Moreover, Talarico explained that the price of insulin had increased significantly over the last two decades, and this was exactly why he filed House Bill 40 to cap the cost of insulin at $50 for a month's supply. Notably, the price of insulin supplies, including needles, sensors and meters was also capped by HB 40. "Putting profits over people has deadly consequences. Texans with diabetes use GoFundMe pages or turn to the black market to get insulin. And in the richest country in the world, one in four diabetics risk their lives by rationing their insulin," he said per KXAN. "This is just a step toward our eventual goal, which is free insulin and free insulin supplies for Texans with diabetes," Talarico added.