Two years ago, Senator Sherrod Brown helped pass a bill that cut the cost of insulin for Ohioans on Medicare. The senator now wants the medicine to be affordable for all ages.

Senator Brown introduced legislation that would cap the price of insulin at $35 for all Ohioans.

 
During a morning visit to Lowellville on Monday, Brown said that no one should have to pay more than $35 per month for insulin. 
 

"We want to see [a] cap of $35 across the population because plenty of people are buying insulin that are not the Medicare age yet. Some drug companies have dropped the price to $35, but across the board we want to make sure that all the drug companies do it," Brown said.

According to Senator Brown, making a vial of insulin costs less than $10, while customers are being charged up to 15 times more. 

David Burke, executive director of Ohio Pharmacists Association said that the average diabetic in Ohio without insurance is paying roughly $400 a month for insulin.

A survey from the federal government ranked Ohio as the 16th state with the highest number of people diagnosed with diabetes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana County are among the highest populations with diabetes in the state.

Brown said he will continue pushing legislation until this issue is passed.