Post by ashliy on Feb 13, 2022 14:18:53 GMT
AG Nessel: Let My Department Investigate Prescription Drug Prices
LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is sharing additional reasoning behind civil action against Eli Lilly, which she initiated at the end of January and seeks to use the Michigan Consumer Protection Act to investigate the role some drug companies play in charging grossly excessive prices.
The opinion piece, which originally ran in the Detroit News earlier this week, can be read below:
"No Michigan resident should have to choose between their health and their home. The skyrocketing price of prescription drugs in Michigan puts some residents in a perilous position of having to choose between buying medications or paying rent. Many Michigan residents put their health at risk by rationing insulin, because they cannot afford to pay the expensive price tag for this life-saving drug.
"As attorney general, it is my duty to investigate instances of potential price gouging to ensure Michigan consumers are not being taken advantage of. Past interpretations of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA), however, make it nearly impossible for me to use it to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable.
"Consumer protection is one of the chief functions of my department and is made possible by the MCPA. It enables my department to both investigate and pursue legal action against businesses for unfair, unconscionable and deceptive practices. For example, the MCPA makes it illegal to charge "a price that is grossly in excess of the price at which similar property or services are sold."
"Thanks to scientific discoveries over one hundred years ago, diabetes is treatable. Successful treatment for many diabetics, however, requires access to affordable insulin. Unfortunately, the price of insulin has skyrocketed. According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health in 2020, participants reported monthly out of pocket insulin costs between $75 to over $2,000 depending on the individual's insulin dosage requirements and insurance coverage.
www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-359-92297_47203-577318--,00.html
This shouldn't be happening.
LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is sharing additional reasoning behind civil action against Eli Lilly, which she initiated at the end of January and seeks to use the Michigan Consumer Protection Act to investigate the role some drug companies play in charging grossly excessive prices.
The opinion piece, which originally ran in the Detroit News earlier this week, can be read below:
"No Michigan resident should have to choose between their health and their home. The skyrocketing price of prescription drugs in Michigan puts some residents in a perilous position of having to choose between buying medications or paying rent. Many Michigan residents put their health at risk by rationing insulin, because they cannot afford to pay the expensive price tag for this life-saving drug.
"As attorney general, it is my duty to investigate instances of potential price gouging to ensure Michigan consumers are not being taken advantage of. Past interpretations of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA), however, make it nearly impossible for me to use it to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable.
"Consumer protection is one of the chief functions of my department and is made possible by the MCPA. It enables my department to both investigate and pursue legal action against businesses for unfair, unconscionable and deceptive practices. For example, the MCPA makes it illegal to charge "a price that is grossly in excess of the price at which similar property or services are sold."
"Thanks to scientific discoveries over one hundred years ago, diabetes is treatable. Successful treatment for many diabetics, however, requires access to affordable insulin. Unfortunately, the price of insulin has skyrocketed. According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health in 2020, participants reported monthly out of pocket insulin costs between $75 to over $2,000 depending on the individual's insulin dosage requirements and insurance coverage.
www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-359-92297_47203-577318--,00.html
This shouldn't be happening.