California tries to rein in healthcare costs

Kaiser Health News published a summary of legislative efforts in California to curb healthcare costs. One big idea is for the state to create its own private label and sell specific generics. Commentators seem to agree that this is unlikely to save the state substantial amounts of money, but might make a big different to individuals. Apparently, there is a bigger proposal underway in terms of creating a single drug market.

It's too early to tell whether these measures will actually come to fruition, and if so, whether they will be effective, and what side effects they will entail. However, if these efforts are successful, perhaps other states (and the federal government) would consider adopting similar measures.