Democratic Hopefuls Put Forward Plans To Tackle High Drug Costs As 2020 Jockeying Begins
Democrats see the issue as a way to tap into populist anger.
The Hill:
2020 Dems Go On Offense Over Drug Prices
Potential 2020 Democratic presidential contenders are rolling out a slew of plans to lower prescription drug prices, highlighting the importance the issue will hold in the coming campaigns. Just in the past two weeks, Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have unveiled new drug pricing plans. Democrats see lowering drug prices as a way to harness populist anger at pharmaceutical companies and reclaim an issue that President Trump has put in the spotlight. (Sullivan, 12/25)
In other national health care news —
The Wall Street Journal:
Drugmakers Raise Prices On Hundreds Of Medicines
Pharmaceutical companies are ringing in the new year by raising the price of hundreds of drugs, with Allergan PLC setting the pace with increases of nearly 10% on more than two dozen products, according to a new analysis.Many companies’ increases are relatively modest this year, amid growing public and political pressure on the industry over prices. Yet a few are particularly high, including on some generics, the cheaper alternative to branded accounting for nine out of 10 prescriptions filled in the U.S. Overall, price increases, including recently restored price increases from Pfizer Inc., continue to exceed inflation. (Hopkins, 1/1)
The New York Times:
Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Season Of Turmoil
Hundreds of doctors packed an auditorium at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on Oct. 1, deeply angered by revelations that the hospital’s top medical officer and other leaders had cultivated lucrative relationships with for-profit companies. One by one, they stood up to challenge the stewardship of their beloved institution, often to emotional applause. Some speakers accused their leaders of letting the quest to make more money undermine the hospital’s mission. Others bemoaned a rigid, hierarchical management that had left them feeling they had no real voice in the hospital’s direction. (Thomas and Ornstein, 12/31)
Stat:
Judge Blocks Trump Administration Cuts To 340B Hospital Payments
A federal judge has blocked a Trump administration policy that reduces payments to hospitals under a drug discount program, ruling Thursday that the government overstepped its authority in an attempt to address the high cost of prescription medications. The decision is a win for the 2,000-plus hospitals participating in the program, known as 340B, most of which serve large numbers of low-income patients. (Swetlitz, 12/28)
Stat:
The Inside Story Of PhRMA's Biggest Lobbying Loss In Years
The drug industry’s storied lobbying group isn’t accustomed to bad news — and with its small army of well connected advocates, it’s even less familiar with surprises. For PhRMA, the news last winter was both. On Feb. 7, the group’s board — made up of dozens of the CEOs of major pharmaceutical companies including Amgen, Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi — was gathered for a meeting to welcome its new chairman. Suddenly, the gathered crew had something far more threatening to discuss: Congress had just laid out a plan to force drugmakers to pay far more into Medicare — a policy change none of pharma’s lobbyists had seen coming. (Florko, 1/2)
The New York Times:
In Screening For Suicide Risk, Facebook Takes On Tricky Public Health Role
A police officer on the late shift in an Ohio town recently received an unusual call from Facebook. Earlier that day, a local woman wrote a Facebook post saying she was walking home and intended to kill herself when she got there, according to a police report on the case. Facebook called to warn the Police Department about the suicide threat. (Singer, 12/31)
Modern Healthcare:
2018 Year In Review: Healthcare Sees Unconventional Partnerships Rise
Healthcare's 2018 began with a resounding sentiment that set the tone for the rest of the year: “We're tired of the current healthcare system, so rather than wait for someone to change it, we'll do it ourselves.” Intermountain Healthcare, Ascension, SSM Health and Trinity Health kicked off 2018 by pledging to create a generic-drug company. The providers spoke on behalf of nearly every health system that faces daily shortages of critical drugs and the challenge of working around an unexpected price hike. (Kacik, 12/26)
Bloomberg:
What We Learned From A Year Of Americans ‘Risking It’ Without Insurance
We started off following a dozen families: people who were trying to work, raise children and pay for a house or college. When we invited others to share their stories about going uninsured, an overwhelming number did — more than 5,000. Many sent us messages that could break your heart or raise your blood pressure. In Virginia, the Jordan family shared their tale of sinking into bankruptcy because of unexpected medical expenses, even though they had insurance. (Tozzi, 12/28)