Iowa
Iowa diabetics may be paying too much for insulin, AG says in lawsuit
Alert dog senses boy’s blood sugar drop from outside school building
Diabetic alert dog Ducky delivered an incredible alert to Aubrie Lewis from outside her son’s preschool building in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Diabetic Iowans may have paid more for insulin than they should have, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird alleges in a lawsuit announced Thursday, Jan. 29.
Bird claims pharmacy benefit managers and insulin manufacturers have manipulated and inflated the cost of insulin in Iowa. She has filed a lawsuit against 18 companies for an unlawful pricing scheme that goes against the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act, according to a news release.
The lawsuit alleges that pharmacy benefit managers and insulin manufacturers created and participated in a pricing scheme that led to an increase in the price of insulin and increased profits.
“Artificially increasing prices to profit off of people who could die without your product is terrible,” Bird said in the release. “Diabetics in Iowa deserve a free and fair marketplace, not a rigged market increasing the price of their insulin. We are suing so Iowans can afford the medicine they need to live and to prevent pharmacy benefit managers and insulin manufacturers from gaming the system at the expense of vulnerable people.”
Around 300,000 diabetics live in Iowa, according to the American Diabetes Association. An estimated 19,000 Iowans are diagnosed with the chronic condition each year.
The lawsuit alleges diabetic Iowans have been overcharged millions of dollars a year and cut off from affordable insulin. The price and lack of access have led some diabetics to underdose, use expired insulin, reuse needles or starve themselves to control their blood sugar levels.
“This behavior is extremely dangerous and can lead to serious complications or even death,” the release said.
Insulin prices in Iowa were listed at $300 to $400 for the same medicine that was sold for less than $5 in other countries, according to the release.
The Attorney General’s Office is seeking confirmation that pharmacy benefit managers and insulin manufacturers have violated Iowa law, to require the cessation of deceptive pricing, and the payment of restitution, damages and reimbursement to affected Iowans, including $40,000 from each company to the state for each violation of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.
Bird has requested a jury trial, according to the petition filed by the Attorney General’s Office.
Companies in the lawsuit include Eli Lilly and Co., Novo Nordisk Inc., Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC, Evernor Health, Inc., Express Scripts, Inc., Express Scripts, Administrators, LLC, ESI Mail Pharmacy Service, Inc., Express Scripts Pharmacy, Inc., Medco Health Solutions, Inc., CVS, Health Corporation, CVS Pharmacy, Inc., Caremark Rx, LLC, CaremarkPCS Health, LLC, Caremark, LLC, UnitedHealth, Group, Inc., Optum, Inc., OptumRx, Inc., and OptumInsight, Inc.
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials.
The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire.
Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable.
University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information.
The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.
Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for April 13-18. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.
Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:
Taylor Roose, Pella boys track and field
Roose competed in three events at the Norwalk Invitational, winning all three in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump.
Daxon Kiesau, Urbandale boys track and field
Kiesau swept the throwing events at the Norwalk Invitational, taking first place in the shot put and the discus.
Alex Burger, Southeast Valley boys track and field
Competing at home, Burger dominated, earning four gold medals. He won the 400-meter hurdles and the long jump while running on the winning 4×200-meter relay and shuttle hurdle relay.
Kolby Hodnefield, Clear Lake boys track and field
Hodenfield, a defending state champion, broke the meet, venue and school record in the 200 and the 400 at the Clear Lake Invitational. He added victories as part of the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Both relays also set meet records.
Easton Moon, North Polk boys tennis
Moon has started off his senior season on the courts unbeaten, winning all four matches while dropping just one game in 44 played.
Ava Lohrbach, Gilbert girls golf
One of the top golfers in the state, Lohrbach has had a hot start, firing a 35 in her nine-hole debut and a 72 for her 18-hole opener.
Nathan Manske, Algona boys golf
An elite quarterback and basketball player, Manske is showing his golfing skills this spring, coming out with a state-low 30 in a nine-hole event.
Ella Hein, Tipton girls track and field
Hein set school records in the 400-meter run and long jump at the Tiger/Tigerette Relays while also locking in the Blue Standard and qualifying for the Drake Relays. She won the long jump (18-6) and was second in the 400.
Maeve Bowen-Burt, Iowa City High girls track and field
The sophomore helped the Little Hawks land three Drake Relays events on the last night of qualifying, advancing in the 400 hurdles, along with the sprint medley and 4×400 relays.
About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
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