This year, the state of California put up $100 million to produce its own insulin, and sell it for cheap. How’s it going to work? (Is it going to work?)  


The price of insulin could be the starkest example of our out-of-control health care system: More than 7 million Americans need it to survive, and some die because they can’t afford it— medicine that’s been around for 100 years, medicine its discoverers didn’t want to patent. 


We look at how California’s plan came to be, and what might stand in the state’s way. 


Further listening:
How insulin got so horribly expensive was one of the first stories we covered on this show. Here’s that story-- a version we ran in 2021, including updates on what citizen-scientists, hackers, and activists are up to: https://armandalegshow.com/episode/revisiting-insulin/
One of the biggest possible obstacles to California’s plan is the power of middleman companies called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. We unpacked their role, their power, and the profits they make when drug prices are high, in this 2019 episode:  https://armandalegshow.com/episode/why-are-drug-prices-so-random-meet-mr-pbm/ 
… and here’s a deep dive on the devious, clever games among PBMs, pharma companies, and insurance companies — games where we, people who need medicine, always lose.https://armandalegshow.com/episode/swimming-with-sharks/ 




Also, we mention our recent coverage of the legal and lobbying power of the pharmaceutical industry. That’s in our last episode, here:  https://armandalegshow.com/episode/congress-fixed-a-piece-of-medicare/ 


Here’s a transcript of this episode.



Send your stories and questions: https://armandalegshow.com/contact/ or call 724 ARM-N-LEG
Get our newsletters here. 
And of course we’d love for you to support this show.

This year, the state of California put up $100 million to produce its own insulin, and sell it for cheap. How’s it going to work? (Is it going to work?)&nbsp;&nbsp; The price of insulin could be the starkest example of our out-of-control health care system: More than 7 million Americans need it to survive, and some die because they can’t afford it— medicine that’s been around for 100 years, medicine its discoverers didn’t want to patent.&nbsp; We look at how California’s plan came to be, and what might stand in the state’s way.&nbsp; Further listening:<ul><li>How insulin got so horribly expensive was one of the first stories we covered on this show. Here’s that story-- a version we ran in 2021, including updates on what citizen-scientists, hackers, and activists are up to: <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/revisiting-insulin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://armandalegshow.com/episode/revisiting-insulin/</a></li><li>One of the biggest possible obstacles to California’s plan is the power of middleman companies called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. We unpacked their role, their power, and the profits they make when drug prices are high, in this 2019 episode:&nbsp; <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/why-are-drug-prices-so-random-meet-mr-pbm/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://armandalegshow.com/episode/why-are-drug-prices-so-random-meet-mr-pbm/</a>&nbsp;</li><li>… and here’s a deep dive on the devious, clever games among PBMs, pharma companies, and insurance companies — games where we, people who need medicine, always lose. <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/swimming-with-sharks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://armandalegshow.com/episode/swimming-with-sharks/</a>&nbsp;</li></ul> Also, we mention our recent coverage of the legal and lobbying power of the pharmaceutical industry. That’s in our last episode, here:&nbsp; <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/congress-fixed-a-piece-of-medicare/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://armandalegshow.com/episode/congress-fixed-a-piece-of-medicare/</a>&nbsp; Here’s <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Web-transcript_S8-Ep2_California-Insulin-2022-26-09.docx.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a transcript of this episode</a>. <ul><li>Send your stories and questions: https://armandalegshow.com/contact/ or call 724 ARM-N-LEG</li><li>Get our newsletters <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>And of course we’d love for you to <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">support this show</a>.</li></ul>

An Arm and a Leg is a podcast about why health care costs so freaking much and what we can (maybe) do about it.

If you’ve ever been surprised by a medical bill, you’re in good company. But as our team of seasoned journalists has learned from years of reporting — you’re not always helpless. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll offer you tools and big picture insights with plenty of humor and heart. 

An Arm and a Leg is co-produced with KFF Health News and distributed in partnership with KUOW.

You can support An Arm and a Leg by donating at armandalegshow.com/support/

Show Credits: Created, hosted, and produced by Dan Weissmann with senior producer Emily Pisacreta and engagement producer Claire Davenport, edited by Ellen Weiss. Audio wizard: Adam Raymonda. Music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is our operations manager.

An Arm and a Leg&nbsp;is a podcast about why health care costs so freaking much and what we can (maybe) do about it.
If you&rsquo;ve ever been surprised by a medical bill, you&rsquo;re in good company. But as our team of seasoned journalists has learned from years of reporting &mdash; you&rsquo;re not always helpless. We don&rsquo;t have all the answers, but we&rsquo;ll offer you tools and big picture insights with plenty of humor and heart.&nbsp;
An Arm and a Leg is co-produced with <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/">KFF Health News</a> and distributed in partnership with <a href="https://www.kuow.org/">KUOW</a>.
You can support An Arm and a Leg&nbsp;by donating at <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/support/">armandalegshow.com/support/</a>
<hr>
Show Credits:&nbsp;Created, hosted, and produced by Dan Weissmann with senior producer Emily Pisacreta and engagement producer Claire Davenport, edited by Ellen Weiss. Audio wizard: Adam Raymonda. Music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is our operations manager.

An Arm and a Leg

California has put up $100 million to produce its own insulin. How's it going to work? (IS it going to work?)

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