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In the United States, insulin can cost ten times more than in other countries, and the price keeps on rising. 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 essential expenses. No Michigander should have to decide between saving their life or paying their bills.??
That's why today I signed an executive directive?to determine how the State of Michigan can lower the cost of insulin, including by developing our very own insulin manufacturing facilities. Michigan is home to over 912,000 Michiganders with diabetes, and far too many are forced to ration or forgo insulin. A century ago, Michigan opened a state facility to manufacture cost-effective, life-saving medicine for a variety of illnesses. This is a great model as we press to lower costs for families and create good-paying jobs for Michiganders.??
I want to hear from you! Let me know what lowering the cost of insulin would mean for you and your family:?
My action builds on the recent federal Inflation Reduction Act, which includes a $35 a month cap on insulin for Medicare recipients. According to the most recent data, 122,000 Michiganders on Medicare used insulin, and the Inflation Reduction Act caps their insulin costs at $35 a month. I?m fighting alongside Michigan?s Congressional delegation to see that every Michigander, including those with private health insurance, can afford this life-saving medication.?
I am grateful to be part of ongoing, bipartisan efforts with Michigan legislators like Senator Curt VanderWall and Attorney General Nessel to reduce the price of insulin, and I will work with anyone to lower the cost of this life-saving drug. I am confident that the Michigan departments I have tasked in this directive will take swift action to determine how we take additional steps to lower the cost of insulin and save lives.?
 Gretchen Whitmer
Governor of Michigan
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