Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate Panel Hearing On High Prices Will Focus On 'Delivery System' Of Getting Drugs To Market
Stat: Senate Set To Hear Pitch On Three Ideas To Bring Down Drug Prices
The Senate health committee will finally train its spotlight on the high cost of prescription drugs in a highly anticipated public hearing Tuesday, the first major congressional examination of the issue since President Trump took office buoyed in part by his promises to lower prices. Trump famously accused pharmaceutical companies of “getting away with murder” in January — but don’t expect the panel to be a slugfest. (Mershon, 6/12)
Morning Consult: Capitol Hill Debate Over Drug Prices Shifts To PBMs
While lawmakers continue to disagree about the pharmaceutical industry’s role in soaring prices for medicines, there are bipartisan calls on Capitol Hill to probe the middlemen in the distribution chain: pharmacy benefit managers. The new focus comes amid an effort by the drug industry to shift the blame from drugmakers, which have faced the brunt of the public backlash for exorbitant pricing, by exposing what it considers opaque business practices by PBMs. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is set to hear testimony on Tuesday about how the drug delivery system affects what patients pay for their medications. (Reid, 6/12)
