More Surprises From Trump On Drug Pricing
Donald Trump’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in late January said it would continue Medicare drug price negotiations. Then, in a Super Bowl interview, Trump bemoaned the cost of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs in America compared with other developed nations. Now, the Trump administration has chosen to defend the Medicare drug price reform law in court.
In a filing Feb. 19, the government agreed with the legal arguments used by the Biden administration and by a lower court.
Trump so far is not what Big Pharma hoped.
#ira #medicare #partd #drugpricing #branddrugmakers
FDA Workers May Be Headed Back To Work
Fired Food and Drug Administration (FDA) probationary workers are receiving calls that their terminations are being rescinded. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) commission clearly jumped the gun on firing all probationary positions throughout government.
#doge #layoffs #trump #spending
United Comes Off A Year Of Agony
Interesting article recapping a very tough year for UnitedHealth Group, from the Change Healthcare cyberattack to several government investigations to the assassination of one of its top executives.
(Article may require a subscription.)
#unitedhealthcare #changehealthcare #cyberattacks
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/insurance/unitedhealth-group-doj-probe-layoffs-backlash
Trump Could Remake Much Of Healthcare
Interesting article on major issues outstanding from the Biden administration that Donald Trump could heavily impact. Areas include emergency medical care, 340B reform, non-competes, safety-net payments, preventive care, and nursing home staffing.
(Article may require a subscription.)
#healthcare #340b #antitrust #hospitals #preventivecare #staffing
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/policy/trump-medicare-pay-aca-340b-lawsuits
House Showdown On Budget Reconciliation Coming As Healthcare Worries Dominate
The House plans to vote later this week on its budget reconciliation resolution that could bring $880 billion in cuts to healthcare, largely in Medicaid. The House is going with one large bill quickly, while the Senate wants two bills and a slower process. There is the possibility that the House GOP will not muster needed votes to advance the bill this week. At least one GOP member has said she is a no right now. The GOP can only lose one vote to pass the bill as all Democrats are expected to oppose the bill. Several other GOPers could be in question. Some conservative members say cuts are not deep enough, while others fear deep cuts.
At the same time, more is being learned on the healthcare front:
- Voters, including swing voters and those who backed President Donald Trump, living in congressional districts seen as competitive in 2026 overwhelmingly support extending the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium subsidies. The poll found 80% of all voters, 78% of Trump voters and 78% of swing voters are in favor of extending the credits.
- A Kaiser Health News (KHN) discusses the possible impact of Project 2025 on healthcare policy under Trump.
- A Becker’s article discusses an Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation analysis that finds almost 11 million people would become uninsured if Medicaid expansion states can’t fulfill spending obligations left by potential federal Medicaid cuts. The House is entertaining a reduction of the reimbursement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion. The analysis notes states would need to collectively find $44.3 billion in lost federal funding.
Additional articles: https://insidehealthpolicy.com/daily-news/gop-poll-finds-strong-support-keeping-aca-tax-credits and https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/trump-project-2025-health-policy-abortion-medicaid-usaid/ and https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer/the-states-that-would-be-the-hardest-hit-by-medicaid-cuts.html and https://insidehealthpolicy.com/health-insider/battle-budget-resolutions-continues-house-vote-set-week
(Some articles may require a subscription.)
#medicaid #trump #congress #budgetreconciliation #spending #aca #obamacare #exchanges
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5161537-johnson-prayer-request-trump-agenda-bill/?tbref=hp
— Marc S. Ryan
