"With the new state cap," Sarah explained, referencing a recent shift in California law to produce affordable insulin, "it's down to about $35 for the month".
Elias let out a dry laugh. It didn't feel like it belonged to him.
At the counter, the pharmacist, Sarah, gave him a sympathetic look. "Your insurance denied the brand-name analog again, Elias," she said softly. "But they’ve started covering a biosimilar now—it’s called Semglee. It works just like the Lantus you’re used to, but it’s significantly cheaper". Elias felt a surge of relief. "How much cheaper?"
He logged into his bank portal. The balance blinked back at him—a number that didn’t quite cover both the rent due on Friday and the "list price" of the insulin he needed. In 1923, the men who discovered this hormone, Frederick Banting and his team, sold the patent for just one dollar. Banting had said, "Insulin belongs to the world".
