Letters to the editor for Feb. 12
Insulin Is a human right
Health care is on everyone’s mind as we head into the 2020 election cycle. Prescription drug affordability is often at the center of this debate, as many Americans report not filling prescriptions or skipping doses because they cannot afford to pay for them. As desperation around this issue mounts, it has become clear that when a prescription is necessary to keep someone alive, access to that prescription is a human right.
Senate Bill 6087 is making its way through the Washington State Legislature. This bill aims to limit the cost share of insulin to $100 a month for patients with prescription drug coverage. Passage of this bill would be a huge step in the right direction for Washingtonians struggling against the rising costs of insulin.
A vial of insulin costs between $2.28 and $6.16 to produce, and yet the average monthly cost to patients was around $450 in 2016, roughly double the $234 average price tag in 2012. Some people have reported being charged in excess of $1,000 per month for this life-saving drug. There is no shortage of stories of people becoming ill and even dying because they are forced to ration their insulin. This must end.
SB 6087 is a step in the right direction. It would put a cap on patients’ monthly out-of-pocket expenses and make insulin affordable for more people. Insulin is a human right for those who need it to stay alive. It is time for the Legislature to act on behalf of these patients.
Animal pandemic strikes again
More than 50 million Chinese locked down! Twenty-eight countries affected! Thirteen confirmed cases in the U.S.! These dramatic headlines announce one more pandemic caused by our abuse of animals.
Indeed, 61% of the 1,415 pathogens known to infect humans originate with animals. These so-called zoonotic diseases, claiming millions of human lives, include Asian flu, Hong Kong flu, West Nile flu, bird flu, swine flu, dengue fever, Ebola, HIV, SARS, and yellow fever. The pandemic “Spanish” flu of 1918 may have killed as many as 50 million people worldwide.
Western factory farms and Asian street markets are virtual breeding grounds for infectious diseases. Sick, crowded, highly stressed animals in close contact with raw flesh, feces, and urine provide ideal incubation media for viruses. As these microbes reach humans, they mutate to defeat the new host’s immune system, then propagate on contact.
Each of us can help end these deadly pandemics by replacing animal products in our diet with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These foods don’t carry flu viruses, or government warning labels, are touted by every major health advocacy organization, and were the recommended fare in the Garden of Eden. The internet offers ample recipes and transition hints.