As the state House of Representatives last week debated police reforms and how to allow people to safely vote during a pandemic, it also took up and approved two health bills that could save lives and improve care during the ongoing health emergency.

The state Senate should follow suit when it takes up the matters during a special session Tuesday.

In overwhelming, bipartisan fashion, the House voted to cap 30-day supplies of insulin at $25 for people covered by insurance plans regulated by the state, meaning virtually all private plans. The legislation also capped at $100 monthly the cost of insulin-related supplies, such as blood-sugar meters, syringes and pumps.

The excessive cost of insulin has been scandalous — and dangerous — in recent years. Some with high-deductible or catastrophic-care-only plans have seen costs of upwards of $500 per month, forcing many to reduce injections. More than 7 million Americans depend on insulin. For people with Type 1 diabetes, it is necessary to live.

Greed and a lack of competition have driven these price spikes. State action, such as that now being taken by Connecticut, is a short-term solution. It will spread the cost to others through higher premiums. Insurance companies won’t swallow the loss. But doing nothing for those in need was not an option. Long term, however, steps are necessary at the federal level to bring down the cost of insulin.

An added provision will allow pharmacies to provide a 30-day supply of insulin, even if a patient’s prescription has expired. No one’s life should be placed at risk because they let a prescription lapse and face a delay in getting it renewed.

Sorely lacking from the legislation was any provision for controlling insulin costs for the uninsured, who are arguably most in need, but for which the state’s authority to control pricing is less clear. That will need to be a priority in the regular session in 2021.

Also passed by the House, and deserving Senate approval, is legislation that would allow a broad range of care to be provided through “telehealth appointments,” rather than in-person visits. Insurers would have to reimburse providers the same for telehealth visits as traditional appointments.

Gov. Ned Lamont set such rules under the executive-order authority provided him to address the pandemic, but his executive powers are set to expire in September, making legislation necessary.

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.