U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) met with kids with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Washington, D.C., this week and also discussed the importance of funding The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY).
Manchin spoke with two girls who have T1D who were in attendance to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee. The young girls spoke on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) 2023 Children’s Congress Delegates, as well as for the reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Program (SDP).
Manchin asked them, “What is something that most people don’t understand about diabetes, as far as childhood diabetes?”
One of the girls replied saying, “I think a lot of people don’t understand that it’s ongoing, you never get a break from it. A lot of people get it confused with Type 2 diabetes.”
To which Manchin told them to, “keep telling your story.”
“You are the hope of America,” Manchin said. “You have united Congress, you made us all understand. It’s not about politics. It is about each individual having the opportunity for quality of life. That’s why you’re here.”
Manchin has already urged leaders in the Senate to reauthorize the SDP, doing so earlier this year. The SDP is set to expire Sept. 30. It’s been around for more than 25 years.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Manchin also spoke to the director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Griffin Rodgers, regarding the high cost of insulin and the potential funding for TEDDY, a longitudinal study that examines the environmental causes of T1D.
Some of what the senator wanted to know from Rogers was, “Can you tell me how this program (SDP) affects families, what we can do to support it and how it is working?”
The high cost of insulin has been something Manchin said he’s been wanting to shrink for quite some time. Manchin said a part of the Inflation Reduction Act was capping the costs of insulin at $35.
“We got Medicare to reduce the price first, and now we got some companies that were shamed into knowing that they’re making excessive profits to come down to $35,” Manchin said. “We are still working to make sure that we have a piece of legislation that does it.”
The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law Aug. 16, 2022.
In West Virginia earlier this year, Gov. Jim Justice signed SB 577, which reduces the copay cap of a 30-day supply of insulin from $100 to $35. It also sets a $100 cap for medical devices such as a blood glucose test strips, glucose monitor, lancets, lancing devices or insulin syringes.
“In my state of West Virginia, we have the highest rate of adults with diabetes, around 16%, along with one of the highest rates of type 1 diabetes,” Manchin added during Tuesday’s meeting.
