Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: More Transparent Pricing System Would Help Untangle Confusion Around High Costs
Forbes: Price Transparency Is Critical To Drug Pricing Solutions
Prescription drug costs are a hot political issue, not as much because of the share of the U.S. health care dollar they consume but because consumers pay a larger share of their drug costs out of pocket than they do for other health care. The lack of price transparency for prescription drugs is a large part of the problem, and making pricing more transparent throughout the process could help in finding viable solutions. (Grace-Marie Turner, 7/11)
Business Insider: Trump Drug Refund Policy Doesn't Work
Last month we got a glimpse at what's inside the Trump administration's draft executive order to control drug pricing, and overall it was a pretty big win for drug companies. They would be in line to get more power to charge monopoly prices overseas and be allowed to give even fewer discounts to hospitals with poor patients. (Linette Lopez, 7/11)
The Baltimore Sun: Marylanders Misled By Drug Pricing Bill
In May, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh declared victory when the General Assembly passed House Bill 631, giving him the power to sue certain drug companies for “excessive” price increases. In doing so, unfortunately, Marylanders were misled about these new powers to police drug prices. In reality, this legislation will decrease competition and raise prices, neither of which will benefit patients, employers or taxpayers in the state. (Chester Davis, 7/11)
JAMA: Value-Based Pricing And State Reform Of Prescription Drug Costs
Faced with increasing prescription drug costs and congressional gridlock, some states have enacted meaningful reforms. In April 2017, New York State became the first public payer in the United States to authorize limits on prescription drug costs based on their therapeutic benefits.1 Under its new budget legislation, the state can identify high-cost drugs, determine a value-based price, and use enhanced powers to negotiate supplemental rebates to achieve this target price for its Medicaid program. (Thomas J. Hwang, Aaron S. Kesselheim and Ameet Sarpatwari, 7/10)
Bloomberg: Celgene Is Tardy To This Cancer-Drug Party
For once, Celgene Corp. is late to the party. Celgene's frequent and aggressive pursuit of partnerships with other companies is one of its hallmarks. It's helped power the biotech to a $100 billion market cap from near $30 billion five years ago. But its latest deal, announced Wednesday evening -- a potential billion-dollar-plus tie-up with BeiGene Ltd. of China, to access an immune-boosting cancer drug candidate -- won't do much to enhance its dealmaking reputation. (Max Nisen, 7/6)
San Antonio Press-Express: Taxpayers Paid For The Research, Deserve Low Drug Prices
When American taxpayers finance drug research, they have earned the right to buy the resulting medication for a reasonable price. ... Instead, taxpayers’ wallets are hit twice for too many medications — once when they pay for drug research through their hard-earned tax dollars and again when a pharmaceutical company, which used that research, engages in price gouging. (Rep. Lloyd Doggett, R-Texas, 7/5)
