Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Noted Break From GOP Orthodoxy, FTC Commissioner Supports Letting Medicare Negotiate Drug Prices
Stat: Airing Frustrations With Pharma, A Republican FTC Commissioner Just Endorsed Medicare Negotiation
A Republican member of the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday expressed support for allowing Medicare to directly negotiate the price of prescription medicines, a noteworthy break from GOP orthodoxy from a Trump administration appointee. The remarks from Christine Wilson, a business executive who President Trump appointed to the FTC in 2018, come as Washington remains split on how to tackle high drug prices and whether to allow Medicare to negotiate directly. (Facher, 1/16)
The Hill: Republican FTC Commissioner Says She Supports Medicare Negotiating Drug Prices
But President Trump and Senate Republicans have rejected that bill, backing more modest alternatives. “The federal government, which accounts for I think a third of pharmaceutical spending, is essentially a price-taker, and that seems like a problem to me,” Wilson added at a conference hosted by the Council for Affordable Health Coverage, a coalition of health care companies and other groups. (Sullivan, 1/16)
Bloomberg Law: Republican FTC Official Backs Medicare Negotiating Drug Prices
Republicans and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar have strongly opposed Democratic proposals that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. They argue that doing so would essentially allow Medicare to set drug prices and stifle development of innovative new drugs.She referred to H.R. 3 , the Democrats’ signature drug pricing bill, which was the House approved in December. The measure would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to negotiate maximum prices for insulin products and at least 25 single-source brand-name names that don’t have generic competition. The CMS is currently prohibited from negotiating drug prices. (Hansard, 1/16)
