“It’s good the state of California is using its power as a purchaser, a regulator (and) a litigator to try to address this issue,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a consumer advocacy group that routinely sponsors health care affordability measures. “This is such a multi-faceted problem that it requires a lot of different solutions.”

....Wright, with Health Access California, said the [manufacturing] strategy applies unusual pressure to the pharmaceutical market. As both a purchaser representing nearly 3.2 million diabetic adults and a manufacturer, the state has different motivations than shareholders do.

“A typical investor is not going to put up the money to develop a new generic for fear of being undercut,” Wright said. “The state of California has a different incentive. If we don’t sell a vial we get the savings as a purchaser. We also have the public policy goal to try and bring down the costs for everybody.”

https://calmatters.org/health/2023/05/cost-of-insulin/

Anthony Wright with Health Access California added that reinstating the yearly renewal means that a three-year backlog is expected, which is why health officials in the state are planning to stagger Medi-Cal changes over the course of 12 to 15 months, and they're partnering with community-based organizations for their outreach efforts.

https://www.kcra.com/article/california-medi-cal-coverage-pandemic-protections-end/43501252

"Even without a contract, California’s commitment to making its own insulin helped pressure existing insulin makers to lower their prices, said Anthony Wright of Sacramento consumer advocacy group Health Access. Earlier this month, the three pharmaceutical companies that control the U.S. insulin market announced they would slash prices on their most popular insulin products. "

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-insulin-naloxone-17843496.php

Just bizarre.

Here's a #game: From the tourist brochures displayed, can you tell where is the hotel I am staying at?