With insulin prices in the United States forcing 1 in 4 diabetes patients to ration insulin, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is looking to ease the burden for the 900,000-plus Michigan residents who have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Whitmer signed an executive directive Monday to determine how the State of Michigan can lower the cost of insulin, including by developing its own manufacturing capabilities.
“Our neighbors, family, and friends with diabetes need insulin to survive and for too long, drug companies have been jacking up prices, forcing them to make impossible choices between medication, food, rent, or other bills,” Whitmer said. “I will work with anyone to lower the cost of this life-saving drug. The American people pay ten times more for insulin than citizens of other comparable nations and costs have tripled over the last decade alone. I am confident that the Michigan departments I have tasked in this directive will take swift action to determine feasibility, and together, we will lower the cost of insulin, hold drug companies accountable, and save lives.”
The directive received bipartisan support, including from Republican State Senator Curt VanderWall, of Grand Rapids. Last week, VanderWall called on Whitmer and the state to act on the issue.
“With so many Michiganders struggling to manage their diabetes, access to readily available and affordable insulin is critical,” VanderWall said. “All insulin users, including those with both public or private insurance plans, should have that opportunity and get the insulin they need. This Executive Directive by Governor Whitmer, coupled with the Senate passing my insulin resolution last week, shows we agree that something needs to be done. I look forward to working with the Governor, state departments, and the legislature to create an initiative that can help so many of our citizens.”
In the directive, Whitmer tasks Michigan departments with evaluating options for the state to lower the cost of insulin, including:
- Development, in conjunction with a partner or partners, of a low-cost insulin product for distribution in Michigan.
- Production, purchase and/or distribution of low-cost insulin products.
- Establishment of a Michigan-based insulin manufacturing facility, including any potential sites for such facility.
- Any additional actions that the state could take that would feasibly lower insulin costs for consumers.
The executive directive can be viewed here.
