Bottom Line On Trump’s Plan To Target Rebates: Most People’s Costs Will Go Up Slightly, But Patients On Pricey Drugs Will Get Relief
The New York Times takes a look at who will benefit from President Donald Trump's new proposal to go after the complicated drug rebate system that flourishes between drugmakers and pharmacy benefit managers.
The New York Times:
How Trump’s Latest Plan To Cut Drug Prices Will Affect You
The Trump administration has made lowering drug prices one of its top priorities, and last week it unveiled a proposal that could vastly rewrite the way drugs are sold in the United States. The proposal takes aim at the secret deals that drug companies strike with pharmacy benefit managers, the industry intermediaries that negotiate the price of drugs for insurers and large employers. These after-the-fact discounts, called rebates, have come under harsh criticism and are blamed for helping to push up the list price of drugs, which consumers are increasingly responsible for paying. (Thomas and Abelson, 2/5)
Columbus Dispatch:
Trump's Move On Drug Rebates Good But May Not Lower Prices, Experts Say
The proposed rule would no longer shield the middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers, from federal anti-kickback laws if they keep part of the rebates they obtain from drugmakers. The three biggest middlemen — CVS Caremark, OptumRx and ExpressScripts — control more than 70 percent of the market, and they push makers of brand-name drugs to provide rebates in exchange for special access to their customers. (Candisky and Schladen, 2/5)
In other pharmaceutical news —
The Hill:
Bipartisan Senators Ask Industry For Information On Surprise Medical Bills
A bipartisan group of senators is asking industry groups for information as they plan legislation to prevent patients from getting massive, unexpected medical bills. The lawmakers sent letters on Tuesday to a variety of insurers and medical providers asking detailed questions about data on their billing and payment procedures. (Sullivan, 2/5)
The New York Times:
Making New Drugs With A Dose Of Artificial Intelligence
You can think of it as a World Cup of biochemical research. Every two years, hundreds of scientists enter a global competition. Tackling a biological puzzle they call “the protein folding problem,” they try to predict the three-dimensional shape of proteins in the human body. No one knows how to solve the problem. Even the winners only chip away at it. But a solution could streamline the way scientists create new medicines and fight disease. (Metz, 2/5)
Stat:
Prominent 'Right-To-Try' Advocate Is Getting Treatment Under The New Law
One of the namesakes of the federal “right-to-try” law confirmed Tuesday that he gained access to an experimental treatment thanks to the new law. Matt Bellina, who has ALS, thanked the drug company BrainStorm for providing the treatment on Facebook. “Many of you read last June that Brainstorm would be treating me with the experimental treatment of [NurOwn] under the new federal Right to Try law. Today I want to thank the company and CEO Chaim Lebovitz for following through and keeping their word.” (Florko, 2/5)
Prescription Drug Watch: For more news on rising drug costs, check out our weekly roundup of news coverage and perspectives of the issue.
