Cigna says it will cap insulin costs at $25 a month for some patients

Health insurance company Cigna announced Wednesday it will cap the price of a 30-day insulin supply at $25 for some of its members. 

The announcement comes as insurers and drug manufacturers face growing questions from Congress and the Trump administration about the rising cost of insulin.

{mosads}Cigna and its pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts, said the program will be available for nongovernment Cigna plans for employers, unions and individuals starting Wednesday. 

The company said the average out-of-pocket cost for insulin was $41.50 for a 30-day supply in 2018. 

But costs can be higher for those who have high-deductible health plans, where patients must pay a certain amount toward their health care before insurance kicks in. 

“We are confident that our new program will remove cost as a barrier for people in participating plans who need insulin,” said Steve Miller, Cigna’s executive vice president and chief clinical officer.

“Better care and better outcomes are rooted in greater choice, affordability, and access, and we can bring all of these to people with the greatest needs.”

Express Scripts and four other pharmacy benefit managers will testify before the Senate Finance Committee next week and are likely to face questions about insulin prices. 

Pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen who negotiate the prices of drugs with drugmakers, have faced intense scrutiny from political leaders, who argue that they do not pass the savings they get on drugs down to the patients who buy them.