Governor Gretchen Whitmer proposed actions to lower the cost of insulin during the State of the State Address Wednesday night.

According to officials, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is in court seeking to launch an investigation into one of the three largest manufacturers of insulin in the United States and in the legislature, and state that there are bills awaiting action that would cap the cost of insulin at $50 a month.

Furthermore, they say Attorney General Nessel is looking to use the Michigan Consumer Protection Act to investigate the role that drug companies play in raising prices.

“Nearly a million Michiganders need insulin to survive and for too long, drug companies have been skyrocketing prices,” said Governor Whitmer. “I support Attorney General Nessel’s efforts to use the Michigan Consumer Protection Act to put Michiganders first by investigating the role drug companies play in raising prices.”

Governor Whitmer continued, “I also look forward to working with legislature to cap the cost of insulin. Too many Michiganders are forced to ration insulin or forgo it, putting their lives at risk. Some families spend thousands of dollars a year on insulin and prices keep going up—they’ve tripled from 2009 to 2019. Together, we can lower the cost of insulin, hold drug companies accountable, and save lives.”

“The average out-of-pocket cost of a single vial of insulin is nearing $100,” Attorney General Dana Nessel stated. “No Michigander should have to face that kind of cost for life-saving medicine. While drug companies profit off of people’s health, they also benefit from a current market in which they control the pricing.”

https://www.9and10news.com/2022/01/26/governor-whitmer-proposes-actions-to-lower-cost-of-insulin/

The Omicron wave swept through Los Angeles over the last two months with unprecedented speed, but ultimately traced a grim path that is becoming increasingly familiar two years into the pandemic.

Cases first exploded in affluent communities, where air travel likely introduced the latest coronavirus variant, which got a head start in places like South Africa, London and New York.

At first, it appeared the variant might be a “great unifier,” spreading equally throughout the county, but then it took a hard turn toward lower-income communities of color that had already suffered the most throughout the pandemic.

By January’s end, officials with the L.A. County Department of Public Health said South and South Central Los Angeles, East L.A. and parts of the San Fernando Valley once again had the highest coronavirus case rates in the county.

The shifts “likely reflect the fact that we’re now seeing increased transmission among those whose jobs are putting them in close contact with others and who often live in crowded housing,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.

https://news.yahoo.com/omicron-landed-affluent-l-poor-130012643.html