Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Poll: Vast Majority of Americans Want Government Intervention On High Drug Prices
Stat: Most Americans Believe Prescription Drug Prices Are Unreasonable
Roughly 8 in 10 Americans believe that prices for prescription drugs are unreasonable and support various ideas to lower costs, such as allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug makers and enforcing price caps on high-priced medicines for certain illnesses such as cancer, according to a new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Silverman, 9/29)
Kaiser Health News: Poll Finds Majority Of Americans Want Restraints On Drug Prices
An overwhelming majority of Americans favor government action to restrain prescription drug prices, according to a poll released Thursday. Eighty-two percent of those polled said they want Medicare to negotiate prices with the companies, which Congress does not allow. Seventy-eight percent favored limiting the amount companies can charge for high-cost drugs, such as those that fight cancer or hepatitis, according to the poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation. And more than two-thirds want to let Americans buy drugs imported from Canada. Support is strong no matter the political party. (Rau, 9/29)
Los Angeles Times: With Drug Prices Spiking, Americans Want More Government Action, New Poll Finds
More than three in four Americans believe that prescription drug prices are unreasonable, a new poll shows. And large majorities — including Democrats and Republicans — favor aggressive government steps to make pharmaceuticals more affordable for consumers, according to the survey by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. (Levey, 9/29)
Politico: POLITICO-Harvard Poll: Americans Blame Drug Companies For Rising Health Costs
Americans have identified the No. 1 culprit for rising health costs: drug companies. A POLITICO-Harvard poll released Friday finds that Democrats and Republicans alike hold the pharmaceutical industry responsible for rising costs more than any other health care sector, though that sentiment is stronger among Democrats. (Kenen, 9/28)
The Associated Press: Did Landmark Laws From Congress Enable High Drug Prices?
Lawmakers are venting outrage over high prescription drug costs, but if Congress is looking for culprits, it might want to look in the mirror. Republican- and Democratic-controlled Congresses, and presidents of both parties, may have set the stage for the startling prices that have consumers on edge. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 9/29)
In California, specialty drug costs are on the rise. And Martin Shkreli is ready to make someone's dream come true —
California Healthline: Specialty Drug Costs Soar 30% For California Pension Fund
Specialty drug costs jumped 30 percent last year to $587 million for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, one of the nation’s largest health care purchasers. Though they amount to less than 1 percent of all prescriptions, specialty drugs accounted for more than a quarter of the state agency’s $2.1 billion in total pharmacy costs. Those overall drug costs have climbed 40 percent since 2010. (Terhune, 9/28)
The Wall Street Journal: Martin Shkreli Wants You To Slap The Smirk Off His Face (For A Price)
Martin Shkreli seems like he’s embracing a stone, cold fact: A lot of people want to hit him in the face. The so-called “Pharma Bro” said on Twitter Tuesday night that he is raffling off an opportunity for someone to get one free shot at him. It’s an effort to raise money for a deceased friend’s son, he said. (Holm, 9/28)
