Great Lakes Wire

Michigan officials are examining how to reduce the cost of insulin, which could involve a state manufacturing facility. 

Over 912,000 residents in Michigan suffer from diabetes, according to a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's (D-MI) office. State officials are concerned for people who might be incapable of affording insulin. Whitmer signed an executive directive aimed at lowering the cost of generic insulin.

"With so many Michiganders struggling to manage their diabetes, access to readily available and affordable insulin is critical," Sen. Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington) said in the press release. "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 Gov. 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."

Whitmer said the proposal was made possible when bipartisan lawmakers collaborated to help diabetes patients.

"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," the governor said in the press release. "The American people pay 10 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 establishment and potential site of a manufacturing facility are to be determined at a later date, the press release noted. The "production, purchase, and/or distribution of low-cost insulin products" in Michigan would be helpful, as people with diabetes pay twice as much for medical expenses on average, when compared to people who do not have diabetes.

"Access to insulin can make all the difference to the health of nearly one million Michiganders suffering from diabetes," Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive for the state of Michigan, said in the press release. "But, high prices make it difficult for many diabetics to access the insulin they need to manage their condition. Many individuals suffering from diabetes have to make life-threatening choices about forgoing or rationing insulin so they can cover their family's other financial needs, including food, shelter, and utilities. Reducing the cost of insulin will help improve the health of our state's residents by ensuring they have access to the medications they need."