Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Plans To Curb High Drug Prices By Overhauling How Medicare Pays For Medications
Politico: Trump To Propose Sweeping Changes To Medicare Drug Prices
President Donald Trump on Thursday will unveil a plan to overhaul how Medicare pays for certain drugs, attacking “foreign freeloaders” that he says have driven up costs in the U.S. The bold move addresses a Trump campaign pledge to lower drug prices, just days before the tightly contested midterm elections in which health care is playing a pivotal role. Trump is scheduled to outline the details in a speech at HHS at 2 p.m., his first address at the health department. The proposal, described to POLITICO by three individuals with knowledge, still needs to be refined and put through a federal rulemaking process. (Karlin-Smith and Diamond, 10/25)
Stat: Trump Set To Give Thursday Speech On Drug Prices
The remarks come on the heels of two major drug pricing wins for the administration. HHS unveiled a proposed regulation last week that would require drug companies to include prices in their TV ads, and earlier in October, Trump signed into law a bill banning gag clauses, which prevent pharmacists from telling customers when it’s cheaper to pay cash for a drug rather than using insurance. (Florko, 10/24)
