Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Seniors Might Finally Get Trump Drug Cards
Politico: Trump's Drug Cards Clear Key Hurdle Following Pressure From White House
President Donald Trump’s stalled campaign promise to send $200 drug-discount cards to seniors has new life after an obscure-but-important industry panel on Monday night gave its blessing, ending weeks of resistance to the plan. The Trump administration has been trying to revive the Medicare discount cards after the plan, abruptly announced in September, ran into resistance inside the administration over questions about its cost and legality. But as POLITICO reported last week, a new hurdle had recently emerged: an industry consortium that helps the Internal Revenue Service oversee benefit cards balked at the plan, raising concerns that Trump's promised, one-time drug discounts didn’t meet typical standards for health-benefit cards. (Diamond, 12/14)
And in news from the pharmaceutical industry —
Stat: PhRMA Took In A Record $527 Million In 2019, New Records Show
PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry trade group, took in nearly $527 million in revenue last year, a $68 million increase from 2018 that came as the industry faced unprecedented opposition in Washington. The new revenue figure, made public late this year in PhRMA’s federal tax disclosures, highlights the group’s diverse efforts to influence Washington in a year when both the White House and newly empowered Democrats in the House of Representatives were intent on capping drug prices. (Facher, 12/15)
Stat: Sackler Family Members Agree To Testify At House Hearing On Opioid Crisis
In an unexpected development, two members of the Sackler family, which controls Purdue Pharma, will testify at a House hearing on Thursday about the role the company played in fueling the opioid crisis. Former Purdue board members David Sackler and Kathe Sackler, along with Purdue chief executive officer Craig Landau, will appear virtually at the hearing scheduled by the Committee on Oversight and Reform. (Silverman, 12/14)
Stat: Here Are The Nominees For Best Biopharma CEO Of 2020
A year like no other requires a new way of drafting a list of Best Biopharma CEOs. For 2020 — the 13th iteration of this list — Covid needed its own category. The worst public health crisis of our lives has triggered an unprecedented response from biotech and pharma companies developing vaccines and drugs against the novel coronavirus. (Feuerstein, 12/15)
