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

As No. 8 Iowa women’s basketball (18-2, 9-0 Big Ten) continues its incredible start to the Big Ten slate, the Hawkeyes will face USC (11-9, 3-6 Big Ten) tonight from the Galen Center in downtown Los Angeles to open their two-game road trip in the Golden State.

The Hawkeyes have been led recently by back-to-back Freshman of the Week guard Addie Deal, Big Ten Player of the Week center Ava Heiden, and senior forward Hannah Stuelke, who have each powered Iowa to three consecutive Top 15 victories and a nine-game win streak.

As for the Trojans, they have dropped 7 of their last 10 games, but still remain a legitimate threat offensively with freshman guard Jazzy Davidson’s 16.0 points per game on 38.2% shooting leading the way. USC has also played competitively lately, nearly upsetting then-No. 7 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Jan. 25.

As the Hawkeyes and Trojans compete on the court, follow along below for live scoring updates, highlights, and analysis of tonight’s action:

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines will lay off 67 workers, effective March 17.

That’s according to a new listing on Iowa WARN.

Employees were notified on Monday.

TV9 reached out to MercyOne by email Thursday morning, asking for a reason behind those layoffs in Des Moines.

This comes just a couple weeks after MercyOne announced it will be closing its clinic in Ottumwa.

Forty people will be laid off when that clinic closes on February 27.

In a statement about the closure in Ottumwa, MercyOne said:

“MercyOne regularly evaluates operations to adapt to changing demographics and needs. This evaluation process is driven by our need to strengthen our ministry by expanding access where possible and consolidating or relocating services where barriers exist, ensuring sustainability and growth in a swiftly changing health care environment.“

Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.