Tennessee councilman starts petition to cap insulin prices

A Tennessee councilman is taking action to help those suffering from the costs of medical treatment.

Clarksville councilman Richard Garrett has started a petition, asking Governor Bill Lee and the general assembly to cap the prices of insulin in the state. The petition currently has more than 8,000 signatures.

Garrett says the rising cost of diabetic treatment, like insulin, is a personal issue for him. His son, Trevon, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 4-years-old.

Seeing similar action taken gave him hope. “Colorado was one of the first ones, and I actually came across their petition and thought maybe if it was successful for somebody to light the spark there. I’ll be that catalysts in here in Clarksville to get it across the state of Tennessee,” said Garrett.

Tennessee ranks 45th in the nation for the number of people living with diabetes.  650,000 in the state are dealing with the rising cost of insulin.

Garrett says the goal of the petition is to get 10,000 signatures.

If you would like to sign,  visit the petition to “Make Life Saving Insulin More Affordable.”