Assemblywoman, a Type 1 diabetic for more than 40 years, highlights the legislation during National Diabetes Awareness Month
GLASSBORO – Assemblywoman Heather Simmons (D-Gloucester), who has lived with Type 1 diabetes since age 14, is highlighting three bills this National Diabetes Awareness Month that would make diabetes care easier to reach and afford. Simmons represents the 3rd Legislative District, which includes Salem County.
Senator Angela McKnight (D-Hudson) initiated the bills in the Senate and asked Simmons to carry them in the Assembly.
“T1D is personal to me. Managing this condition is a daily responsibility, and access to the right medications, technology and healthcare makes a real difference,” Simmons said. “People should be able to focus on their health, not worry about whether they can afford the care they need or whether they can get essential medication when they need it.”
What the bills would do
- A5730 would require pharmacies to provide an emergency 30-day supply of insulin in certain circumstances.
- A5732 would establish a health insurance purchase subsidy for certain people living with Type 1 diabetes.
- A5805 would require the Department of Health to provide information about pharmacists’ authority to dispense emergency supplies of chronic maintenance medications, so patients understand their options if they are at risk of running out.
“These bills address real challenges that can have serious consequences for people managing Type 1 diabetes,” Simmons said. “That means affordable coverage, reliable access to medication and fewer barriers when people need help.”
A personal perspective
Simmons received a living donor kidney transplant from her brother in 2019. She says that experience shapes her approach to the needs of patients managing complex, long-term conditions.
“People living with chronic conditions don’t get a day off from managing their health,” she said. “Our healthcare system should make that responsibility easier, not harder.”
Broader health agenda
The diabetes bills are part of a larger health care portfolio. Simmons has also advanced legislation on:
- Kidney transplantation and dialysis, including A3412, which would establish a Kidney Donor Insurance Fund, and A3434, the proposed Dialysis Patient Support Person Accommodation Act.
- Menopause care. Two of her bills, A5278 (the New Jersey Menopause Coverage Act) and A5309 (the Menopause Provider Continuing Education Act), have been signed into law.
- Insurance coverage. A5785, signed into law, requires certain wellness visits to be covered once per year without waiting periods. She is also sponsoring A3406 with Assemblyman Dave Bailey, which would set prescription drug pricing disclosure requirements, and A5388, the proposed Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit Transparency and Accountability Act.
- Breast cancer and cardiomyopathy, including A3435 (Marnie’s Law) on nursing education about inflammatory breast cancer and A3418 on cardiomyopathy resources.
Source: Press release from the office of Assemblywoman Heather Simmons.