Illinois enacts $60 price cap on epinephrine autoinjector two-packs

Key takeaways:

• Illinois has capped the cost of a pack of two epinephrine injectors at $60.
• The cap comes amid an ongoing injector shortage and follows similar moves in other states.

The price of a two-pack of epinephrine autoinjectors is set to be capped at $60 in Illinois following Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signing of House Bill 3639 on Friday, Aug. 4.

The bill, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2025, bans insurance companies from requiring that customers pay more than $60 for “a twin-pack of medically necessary epinephrine injectors,” according to its text.

The nonprofit Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) hailed the price cap as a “groundbreaking victory” in a press release, stating that more than 1.2 million Illinois residents live with potentially life-threatening food allergies.

“We commend Gov. Pritzker for his leadership and commitment to the health and well-being of Illinois residents,” Jason Linde, MA, senior vice president of advocacy at FARE, said in a press release, adding that the organization is grateful for grassroots advocates and “the food allergy champions in the Illinois State House and Senate who made it possible for all families to afford the medicine they need.”

Illinois’ price cap comes amid a yearslong shortage of epinephrine autoinjectors, which has seen the average price of a two-pack rise to between $500 and $700, according to a news release from Illinois Senate Democrats. The move comes after New Jersey’s recent cap on out-of-pocket costs for inhalers and epinephrine injectors, and comes as California lawmakers seek a requirement that schools store injectors in accessible locations.

References:

• Bill status of HB3639. https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=3639&GAID=17&GA=103&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=148866&SessionID=112. Accessed Aug. 9, 2023.
• Illinois Governor Pritzker signs HB 3639 into law, capping epinephrine auto-injector costs at $60. https://www.foodallergy.org/media-room/illinois-governor-pritzker-signs-hb-3639-law-capping-epinephrine-auto-injector-costs-60. Published Aug. 7, 2023. Accessed Aug. 9, 2023.