Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Drugs from Mexico and Canada; Diabetes; Coinsurance Levels
The Hill: Ahead Of A Coronavirus Vaccine, Mexico's Drug Pricing To Have Far-Reaching Impacts On Americans
The United States and Mexico have both been slammed by the COVID-19 pandemic with more than six million U.S. cases and 185,000 deaths and Mexico surging to 606,000 cases, the eighth highest in the world. Yet amidst this global health crisis, Mexico’s Congress recently passed legislation implementing the revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that include new monopoly rights for pharmaceutical corporations that will restrict access to affordable medicines and hurt patients throughout North America. (Reps. Rosa Delauro [D-Conn.], Jan Schakowsky [D-Ill.], Earl Blumenauer [D-Ore.] and Veronica Escobar [D-Texas], 9/3)
WBUR: Why Importing Drugs From Canada Won't Fix High Drug Costs
Politicians from President Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders have been calling for years to allow the importation of certain prescription drugs from Canada. In July, Trump signed an executive order intended to facilitate prescription drug importation. High and rising prescription drug costs are one of vanishingly few issues with bipartisan attention these days, and even bipartisan agreement on some specific policies, like this one. Trump, Sanders and Joe Biden all support prescription drug importation — but importing drugs from Canada won’t solve the U.S.’s prescription drug costs problem. (Sarah Ruth Bates, 9/2)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Diabetes Has A Treatment Crisis Worsened By COVID-19
Insulin affordability has been a major issue for the health of millions of Americans, even gaining attention during the Democratic debates. For patients living with diabetes, particularly type 1 diabetes, access to insulin is literally a matter of life and death. (Jennifer N. Goldstein and Abby Donnelly, 9/8)
Stat: Instead Of Drug Rebates, Turn To Drugs' Average Sales Prices
Changing key elements of the U.S. health care system can be effective and in the best interests of patients. It can also be ill-advised. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama were largely successful in implementing “radical” changes to the health care system, the former instituting a drug benefit for seniors through the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, the latter extending health insurance to the uninsured through the Affordable Care Act. (Andrew Parece and Matthew Majewski, 9/4)
