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Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Much Ado About Drug Prices

President Donald Trump’s blueprint to reduce drug prices frames almost as many questions as answers, but it does shine light on a vexing and complicated problem. Meanwhile, Vermont passed a law to do something that’s not in the president’s plan: import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The state will need federal permission to do that, which is unlikely to be granted. And Timothy Jost, emeritus professor of law at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, discusses the state of the Affordable Care Act and what might be in the health law’s immediate future. This week’s panelists for KHN’s “What the Health?” are Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call. Among the takeaways from this week’s podcast:
  • It is not yet clear how many of the myriad proposals in Trump’s 44-page prescription drug price proposal will be implemented, but the plan does jump-start the discussion across a wide range of drug issues.
  • Although Trump walked back his promise to move Medicare toward negotiating drug prices, his drug proposal would move some drugs administered in physicians’ offices — currently paid under a formula — to be handled by the Part D prescription drug plans, for which insurance companies negotiate prices.
  • The drug price initiative is welcomed by Republican candidates who think it will be a potent defense against Democratic charges that GOP efforts on the Affordable Care Act are driving overall health care spending up.
  • With the increasing reports that in the not-too-distant future one or more justices will retire from the Supreme Court, abortion-rights activists are nervous about how a new court would view the issue and are working hard to avoid a big federal lawsuit that could overturn Roe v Wade.
Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too. Julie Rovner: Kaiser Health News’ “For The Babies Of The Opioid Crisis, The Best Care May Be Mom’s Recovery,” by Sarah Jane Tribble Joanne Kenen: Science Magazine’s “Hoping to Head Off an Epidemic, Congo Turns to Experimental Ebola Vaccine,” by Jon Cohen Rebecca Adams: Kaiser Health News’ “Under Trump Proposal, Lawful Immigrants Might Be Inclined To Shun Health Benefits,” by Christina Jewett and Melissa Bailey and Paula Andalo Anna Edney: Vox.com’s “The Blockbuster Fight Over This Obscure Federal Program Explains America’s Drug Prices,” by Dylan Scott To hear all our podcasts, click here. And subscribe to What the Health? on iTunes, Stitcher or Google Play.KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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