LANSING — Governor Whitmer praised bi-partisan legislation that will help the state lower costs while also reiterating her calls to lower the price of insulin and continue to pass legislation to lower the cost of meds for Michiganders.
“This bipartisan legislation will help us lower the cost of prescription drugs for Michigan families,” said Governor Whitmer. “We must continue working together to improve transparency in health care, hold accountable people and corporations profiting from skyrocketing prices, and make life-saving, essential medication like insulin affordable for every Michigander who needs it. I look forward to signing this legislation, and I am grateful to my Prescription Drug Task Force for all the work they did to provide a solid set of recommendations, including a few that were included in this legislation to help Michiganders save money on prescription drugs. Together, we can keep lowering costs for families as we grow our economy, create good-paying jobs, and put Michiganders first.”
Earlier this month, Whitmer used the State of the State address to announce that her administration would work with Attorney General Dana Nessel to lower the cost of insulin. The Attorney General is seeking to use the Michigan Consumer Protection Act to investigate the role drug companies play in raising prices. Meanwhile, in the Michigan Legislature, there is an effort to cap the cost of insulin at $50 a month.
All of these positive changes have happened after the Governor created a prescription drug task force that came up with the following suggestions addressed by this legislation:
- Requires transparency reports from pharmacy benefit managers
- Requires state licensure for pharmacy benefit managers
- Allows for greater enforcement authority for licensed pharmacy benefit managers
- Helps make necessary medications affordable for all Michigan families
- Prohibits questionable business practices.
