Hours Into Presidency, Trump Rescinds Attempts To Lower Prescription Costs, Rolls Back Some ACA Rules
President Donald Trump overwrote Joe Biden’s executive order that led to longer enrollment periods for Affordable Care Act plans in most states and extra funding to help people enroll, Stat reports. Trump also halted some prescription cost-saving efforts for people on Medicare and Medicaid, which might stall momentum for Medicare drug pricing negotiations. On Friday, another 15 drugs — including blockbusters Ozempic and Wegovy — were added to the negotiation list.
Stat:
Trump Executive Orders On Health Care: Drug Pricing, ACA, Covid-19
President Trump began his second term Monday with a sweeping order aimed at reversing dozens of former President Biden’s top priorities, from regulations aimed at lowering health care costs, to coronavirus outreach, Affordable Care Act expansions, and protections against gender-based discrimination. (Owermohle, Wilkerson, Zhang and Lawrence, 1/20)
Newsweek:
Donald Trump's Medicare Executive Order Explained
President Donald Trump has rescinded former President Joe Biden's executive order 14087, which was put in place to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Americans. Newsweek has reached out to the Trump transition team outside of regular working hours via email for comment. ... While the executive order has been rescinded, existing laws and regulations governing prescription drug pricing and Medicare and Medicaid policies remain in effect. However, the momentum toward developing new cost-saving measures as encouraged by the previous administration has now been disrupted. (McFall, 1/21)
NPR:
Medicare Targets 15 More Drugs For Price Cuts, Including Ozempic
The Biden administration, in its last full weekday in office, announced the next 15 drugs up for Medicare price negotiation. Blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic is on the list. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services negotiated prices for a first batch of drugs last year — something it could only do because of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed in 2022. Those new prices go into effect in January 2026. (Lupkin, 1/17)
In related news about the ACA and weight loss drugs —
Modern Healthcare:
ACA Enrollment For 2025 Breaks Another Record
At least 24.2 million people purchased health insurance on the exchange marketplaces during open enrollment for 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Friday. That tally surpasses a record set a year ago, as sign-ups for exchange plans accelerated mostly due to the enhanced subsidies enacted in 2021 and extended in 2022. (Young, 1/17)
The Washington Post:
Sweeping Review Suggests Weight-Loss Drugs’ Effect On 175 Conditions
A study by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the relationship between GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and 175 diseases and conditions supports a lot of what scientists already suspected about potential benefits, but contains a few surprises, too. The findings, published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine and based on an analysis of medical records from about 2.5 million patients in the VA system, support the idea that the medications might be able to help patients with Alzheimer’s disease and who are suffering from substance abuse involving alcohol, cannabis and narcotics. (Eunjung Cha, 1/20)
What's ahead for President Trump —
Politico:
Trump Promises Health Actions Starting This Week
President Donald Trump said he will begin to make changes this week to a handful of health measures. In his inaugural speech in Washington on Monday, the 47th president promised to reverse actions taken against military members who declined to follow the Covid-19 vaccine mandate, which Congress repealed in 2023. Trump, despite largely focusing his address on immigration and the economy, also said his administration will reform the public health system. He noted chronic disease prevention and treatment as priorities, in line with the Make America Healthy Again agenda he shares with his pick to lead HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump also said he would change how public health agencies respond to disasters, noting flooding in North Carolina last year and the more recent wildfires in California. (Payne, 1/20)
Axios:
Trump Inherits Biden's Unfinished Business On Health Policy
The Trump administration inherited some big health policy headaches on Monday. And the nature of federal rules means it can't start from scratch on key questions about surprise billing, coverage of GLP-1s and prescribing controlled substances. (Goldman, 1/21)
KFF Health News:
Days From Trump Inauguration, Journalists Weigh California, Federal Health Policies
KFF Health News senior correspondent Angela Hart discussed California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s health legacy on KVPR’s “Central Valley Daily” on Jan. 16 and on KQED’s “Forum” on Jan. 13. (1/18)
