Gov. Gavin Newsom visits Downey to unveil plan for $30 insulin – World Time Todays

DOWNEY, California– Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday announced a partnership with a nonprofit generic company to bring insulin to Californians for $30 per 10 milliliters — which he says is a tenth of the current cost.

Newsom, as part of his ongoing tour of the state, visited a Kaiser Permanente warehouse in Downey to discuss its administrative policies rather than a traditional state of the state speech.

He hailed the 10-year partnership as a way to ease the health care burden on residents without “subsidizing costs or socializing costs” but to address “underlying” costs.

The program, administered through CalRx, was described by the governor as a “market disruption” that he hoped would prompt big drug companies to slash their prices on the drug.

“This is a big thing for us. That doesn’t happen anywhere else in the United States,” the governor said.

“Diabetes has become an overwhelmingly expensive chronic condition, and it is heartbreaking that millions of people in California and across the United States are faced with the possibility of having to ration their care and risk their lives because they cannot insulin can do more,” said Civica President and CEO Ned McCoy. “We applaud California for its mission-driven commitment to reducing the cost of insulin and look forward to our pioneering partnership for the benefit of people living with diabetes.”

Newsom said manufacturing is set to begin later this year, adding that he expects “favorable treatment” from the FDA and hopes shipments will begin next year.

Also announced on Saturday was a deal that would allow California to manufacture its own lower-cost naloxone, or narcan, the drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and is credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

Officials said the insulin deal was just the beginning of what they hoped would be a broader program of similar deals.

“We start with insulin, but we don’t stop there,” said Mark Ghaly, secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, who along with Janice Han, the Los Angeles Borough Superintendent, and Downey Mayor Claudia Frometa, told Newsom for the announcement joined and others. “We will look for other opportunities (for savings).”

In fact, Newsom said that “next” would be Meloxil.

“No one should have to choose between paying for the prescription drug that keeps them alive or paying their rent or putting food on the table,” Hand said. “This new partnership to make insulin and deliver it for just $30 will transform the lives of families.

Republicans said action was needed to save the state’s hospital system, but accused, “Years of underfunded Medi-Cal reimbursement have left hospitals across the state unable to pay their bills, pushing them to the brink of failure.” collapse”.

“This is a self-inflicted crisis of epic proportions that is putting lives at risk,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones told R-San Diego. “While Newsom pauses on his nationwide tour to speak about health care, he misses the point — there are families who currently don’t have access to emergency services, and millions more who may be at risk if the governor doesn’t act quickly. “

Jones added, “While I appreciate the governor’s passion and creativity in addressing rising health care and prescription drug costs, the priority right now should be to save the health care system that we currently have. Without immediate action, millions of Californians will not have access to doctors, nurses and hospital services.”

The governor began his tour Thursday in Sacramento, where he discussed plans to build 1,200 tiny homes statewide to help combat homelessness, followed by an address Friday that focused on a plan to overhaul the San Quentin state penitentiary.

Newsom’s tour continues Sunday in San Diego with an event focused on mental health care.

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