The Utah Division of Consumer Protection is inviting current and former Utah diabetes patients and their caregivers to share their experiences with insulin pricing from the past ten years. According to a November 10 report, the feedback aims to support the state's legal action against major insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) regarding pricing schemes.
Dan Larsen, Director of the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, stated that these companies have preyed on individuals by artificially inflating the prices of life-saving drugs. Larsen noted that this forces families to choose between medication and basic necessities like food, and added that individual experiences are vital to the state's case and the potential to recover damages.
The state's lawsuit addresses several industry practices, including allegations that drug manufacturers raised wholesale insulin prices to provide higher rebates to PBMs. Additionally, the lawsuit addresses allegations that PBMs prioritized high-rebate, high-cost drugs over more affordable options on health plan formularies. These practices have reportedly resulted in higher out-of-pocket costs for Utah residents due to artificial list prices rather than actual market costs.
Approximately 200,000 Utahns live with diabetes and spend $1.7 billion on care, representing one in four healthcare dollars spent in the state. The Division of Consumer Protection, represented by the Utah Attorney General’s Office, is leading litigation to reform the pharmaceutical supply chain and ensure fair, transparent pricing for Utah families.
Individuals who have suffered harm may ultimately be eligible to receive compensation. Submissions will be treated as official complaints and reviewed by investigators to support the lawsuit. Residents can participate by filling out the official submission form at commerce.utah.gov/dcp/insulin.
