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California governor vetoes bill that would have set a $35 cap for insulin
theguardian.com ^ | October 8, 2023

Posted on 10/08/2023 6:23:16 PM PDT by lowbridge

Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have stopped insurance companies from charging more than $35 for insulin.

The bill would have banned health plans and disability insurance policies from imposing any out-of-pocket expenses on insulin prescription drugs above $35 for a 30-day supply. That would have included deductibles and co-pays.

The California governor, a Democrat, said earlier this year that the state would soon start making its own brand of insulin. California has a $50m contract with the non-profit pharmaceutical company Civica Rx to manufacture the insulin under the brand CalRx. The state would sell a 10-milliliter vial of insulin for $30.

“With CalRx, we are getting at the underlying cost, which is the true sustainable solution to high-cost pharmaceuticals,” Newsom wrote in a message explaining why he vetoed the bill on Saturday. “With co-pay caps however, the long-term costs are still passed down to consumers through higher premiums from health plans.”

State senator Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco who crafted the bill, called Newsom’s veto “a major setback that will keep tens of thousands of diabetic Californians trapped in the terrible choice between buying insulin and buying food”.

“This is a missed opportunity that will force them to wait months or years for relief from the skyrocketing costs of medical care when they could have had it immediately,” Wiener said in a news release.

(Excerpt) Read more at amp.theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; newsom; pricecontrols
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1 posted on 10/08/2023 6:23:16 PM PDT by lowbridge
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To: lowbridge

Civica funds his campaign.


2 posted on 10/08/2023 6:24:57 PM PDT by TornadoAlley3 ( I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
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To: lowbridge

Jerk.


3 posted on 10/08/2023 6:29:06 PM PDT by MarMema ("Legitimate Military Targets" (Putin))
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To: lowbridge; All

He did something “non-commie”...unbelievable!


4 posted on 10/08/2023 6:33:07 PM PDT by Drago
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To: lowbridge

And why would other drugs not be given such caps?

And why just $35 - less than three hours of work per month at the California minimum wage?


5 posted on 10/08/2023 6:35:29 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: lowbridge

FYI 49 states allow you to buy r and n insulin at Walmart for $25 dollars a vile.


6 posted on 10/08/2023 6:35:54 PM PDT by big bad easter bunny
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To: lowbridge

Overcharging for insulin is a racket. CVS Caremark charges Aetna something like $125 a vial, but I can buy it over the counter at Walmart for $25. Brand name, Novolin R, made in Denmark, not a Chinese generic.

The difference? CVS Caremark is wholly owned by Aetna, and they do this to get around federal regulations limiting the amount of overhead a medical insurance plan can book.

This undoubtedly is true for most if not all prescription drugs.


7 posted on 10/08/2023 6:37:06 PM PDT by Chad C. Mulligan
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To: All
"The California governor, a Democrat, said earlier this year that the state would soon start making its own brand of insulin.

Oh, that's gonna be good stuff!

Folks like Newsome get their way, they will own all means of production of medicine, and decide who gets it , and at what price.

8 posted on 10/08/2023 6:41:31 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: lowbridge

I’d have his bank accounts examined to determined how much of the bribe is taxable...


9 posted on 10/08/2023 6:42:21 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is the next Sam Adams when we so desperately need him)
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To: lowbridge

Was there anything else in the bill that caused the veto? Dems are masters at packing unrelated BS into the bill while naming it after an endearing cause.


10 posted on 10/08/2023 7:03:41 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage? (Drain the Swamp. Build the Wall.)
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To: TornadoAlley3

The check cleared.


11 posted on 10/08/2023 7:11:58 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals)
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To: lowbridge

Because, if he signed that law, the company would just stop selling the product. Sorry, but there is afloor cost for them to operate in California, insurance, safety, handling, etc. If they cannot meet their price point, it makes no difference what you set the rpice at. The bottom price is 0, and the product is not available.

Just like the real minimum wage is 0, and you don’t have a job.


12 posted on 10/08/2023 7:26:19 PM PDT by wbarmy (Trying to do better.)
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To: Drago

“He did something “non-commie”...unbelievable!”

No, it’s OBVIOUS that he wants Biden’s job. Pretty much everything he’s doing now is to position himself for that.


13 posted on 10/08/2023 7:39:19 PM PDT by BobL (Trump gets my vote, even if I have to write him in; Millions of others will do the same)
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To: Chad C. Mulligan; All

It looks like it is not quite that simple....WalMart cut a deal with Novo-Nordisk (Denmark) for a “generic”/”Relion” version that is exclusive to WM...CVS not in on the deal (they pay reg. price):

The WM/Novo-Nordisk topic is a few paragraphs in...here:

https://www.americanactionforum.org/insight/potential-cost-implications-of-expected-new-generic-insulins/

https://www.novonordisk-us.com/products/diabetes.html

We could always cut costs by going back to cow/pig derived insulin...the new stuff is “bio-similar/equivalent” genetically modified stuff....(more costly).

UK socialized medicine still uses animal derived insulin (”Hypurin”)...not cool/”hip” enough for US doctors?? Who knows?

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin/animal-insulin.html

https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2013/11/two-tons-of-pig-parts-making-insulin-in-the-1920s.html


14 posted on 10/08/2023 7:42:40 PM PDT by Drago
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To: lowbridge

“Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that converts sugar into energy.”
No, sorry, Insulin is a hormone that INDUCES the body’s cells to convert blood glucose (sugar) into energy.

“People who have diabetes don’t produce enough insulin”
No, sorry, in Type 2 cases (90% of diabetes cases), the patients produce massive amounts of Insulin (at least initially) - the problem is that the cells in the people do not respond properly, with the proper response being to convert the blood glucose into energy (as stated above).


15 posted on 10/08/2023 7:46:56 PM PDT by BobL (Trump gets my vote, even if I have to write him in; Millions of others will do the same)
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To: Drago

All that means is that Newsom gets campaign donations from the business interests impacted by such a cap on insulin.


16 posted on 10/08/2023 8:42:10 PM PDT by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERBODY'S BUSINESS-REMEMBER PASTOR NIEMOLLER)
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To: lowbridge

“The California governor, a Democrat, said earlier this year that the state would soon start making its own brand of insulin.”

This should terrify every diabetic in California.


17 posted on 10/08/2023 9:25:41 PM PDT by Ignatz (Winner of a prestigious 1960 Y-chromosome award!)
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To: lowbridge

Making insulin or any other medications is not the government’s job.


18 posted on 10/08/2023 9:31:23 PM PDT by Allegra (Stop the Zeepers from Censoring FReepers)
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To: Drago

He’s hoping they die...Less health care costs


19 posted on 10/08/2023 9:59:37 PM PDT by Hambone 1934 (Dems love playing Nazis.....The republicans love helping them)
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To: Hambone 1934

[He’s hoping they die...Less health care costs]

Oooh, like ObamaScare.......


20 posted on 10/09/2023 1:29:49 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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