Promises Are Dangerous Things, And Other Lessons Trump Can Learn From Obama’s ACA Mistakes
The road to overhauling the health care system in America has not been smooth for President Barack Obama. Meanwhile, Politico talks with Heritage Foundation health policy analyst Ed Haislmaier about health care's next chapter under the Trump administration.
The Associated Press:
What Trump Can Learn From Obama's Rough Ride On Health Care
President Barack Obama took on the problems of a lack of access to health care and high cost, but he and Democrats paid a political price. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to undo much of what Obama put in place, and pledged to make the system better. Although Trump is lacking in specifics, he seems to want to make costs his priority. States, insurers, businesses, and individuals would get more leeway to sort out access. Health care keenly reflects the country's deep political divide. A look at some lessons Trump might learn from Obama's rough ride. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 11/27)
Politico:
How Heritage Is Influencing Trump And Health Care's Next Chapter
As a candidate, Donald Trump vaguely promised to fix health care by repealing Obamacare and "getting rid of the lines." But as president-elect, his health policy is getting more robust — and there's a straight line to the Heritage Foundation. "Our view … it's about giving people choices. It's about having the markets work well, the structure and the incentives," Heritage health policy analyst Ed Haislmaier said on POLITICO's "Pulse Check" podcast this week. "It's not about products." (Diamond, 11/23)
In other national health care news —
The New York Times:
A Battle To Change Medicare Is Brewing, Whether Trump Wants It Or Not
Donald J. Trump once declared that campaigning for “substantial” changes to Medicare would be a political death wish. But with Election Day behind them, emboldened House Republicans say they will move forward on a years-old effort to shift Medicare away from its open-ended commitment to pay for medical services and toward a fixed government contribution for each beneficiary. (Pear, 11/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Lawmakers Try For Year-End Bill On Medical Research, Devices And Opioid Addiction
U.S. Senate and House negotiators are in final stages of talks toward legislation that would boost funding for the National Institutes of Health, provide states with $1 billion for opioid-addiction treatment and improve access to mental-health treatment. The bill, which is likely to become completed in the next few days, will also have potentially significant impact on the regulation of medical devices and drugs. The House is scheduled to vote on some version of the legislation as early as Wednesday. ... People familiar with the talks, however, said that over the weekend there are major provisions to be hammered out, especially regarding Food and Drug Administration regulation of drugs and devices. One of those people said on Saturday that there was still the possibility that this emerging deal would fall apart. (Burton, 11/26)
Reuters:
Senate Panel Postpones Mylan Hearing
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday postponed a hearing planned for next week to discuss Mylan NV's pending $465 million settlement to resolve charges that it underpaid government healthcare programs by misclassifying its EpiPen emergency allergy treatment. Mylan, the Justice Department and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had all declined to send officials to the Nov. 30 hearing, the committee said in a statement. (Bartz, 11/24)
Wall Street Journal:
Planned Medicaid Overhaul Could Put GOP Governors In An Awkward Spot
President-elect Donald Trump has proposed converting the federal-state [Medicaid] program into block grants to the states in an effort to give them more latitude over how the program is run. This would jibe with many leading Republicans in Congress, who for years have wanted a Medicaid overhaul that hands more control over to the states. But such a move is likely to expose divisions among Republicans over how significantly to peel back coverage protections for the more than 12 million people who gained Medicaid in the 31 states, as well as Washington, D.C., that expanded the program. (Armour, 11/24)
The New York Times:
Eli Lilly’s Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug Fails In Large Trial
An experimental Alzheimer’s drug that had previously appeared to show promise in slowing the deterioration of thinking and memory has failed in a large Eli Lilly clinical trial, dealing a significant disappointment to patients hoping for a treatment that would alleviate their symptoms. The failure of the drug, solanezumab, underscores the difficulty of treating people who show even mild dementia, and supports the idea that by that time, the damage in their brains may already be too extensive. And because the drug attacked the amyloid plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s, the trial results renew questions about a leading theory of the disease, which contends that it is largely caused by amyloid buildup. (Belluck, 11/23)
Stat:
Why Billion-Dollar Biotech Deals Are Often Just A Mirage
It was a good day for UniQure, a Dutch biotech company at work on gene therapies for rare diseases. A big pharma company had just made a billion-dollar investment in its future. Or so the headlines blared. Eighteen months and two CEOs later, UniQure is laying off about a quarter of its staff, abandoning some of its would-be drugs — and running out of cash. So what happened to that billion dollars? It never really existed. Bristol-Myers Squibb paid UniQure just $50 million in cash up front. The rest of the deal came in what’s known in the industry as “biobucks” — akin to lottery tickets that pay out when an experimental drug hits various milestones along the path to commercialization. When a drug fizzles, the money doesn’t materialize. (Garde, 11/28)