(WXYZ) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer created a bipartisan task force that is aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs.
The task force will consist of leaders from the departments of Health and Human Services, Insurance and Financial Services and Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, along with leaders from the Michigan Legislature.
It will identify strategys and recommend legislative and administrative actions to increase transparency in the pricing of prescription drugs and lowering costs.
“Nobody should have to choose between refilling their prescription and paying rent, but that’s the current reality for too many Michigan families,” Whitmer said in a press release. “There are people who are already struggling to get by, who know that any day, they could get a diagnosis that would put them in severe medical debt. That has to change. This task force will take us one step closer to increasing transparency and lowering costs for Michiganders.”
In Whitmer's 2021 budget proposal, she suggest to lower the costs of prescription drugs by creating a preferred drug list.
The task force will submit a final report to the governor detailing the findings and recommendations by Aug. 15.
“Right now, Michigan families are worried about how they’ll fill their prescriptions and put food on the table, or buy warm clothes for their kids to get through the winter,” MDHHS Director Robert Gordon said in a press release. “Our goal with the Prescription Drug Task Force is to lighten that burden for them. Everyone on this team is dedicated to lowering costs for Michigan families, and they’re ready to get to work.”
