Democrats See Opportunity In Trump’s Inaction To Reclaim High Drug Prices As Winning Issue
Drug price negotiation has been a longtime plank of the Democratic platform, but President Donald Trump made it his own talking point during his campaign and the early days of his tenure. Now, Democrats want to take it back.
The Washington Post:
Trump Made High Drug Prices His Issue. Democrats Think They Can Take It Back.
Democrats are trying to take back an issue Donald Trump effectively stole from them during the 2016 presidential campaign: the high cost of prescription drugs. Trump repeatedly railed against pharmaceutical companies during the campaign and after taking office, promising that prices would drop and accusing drug companies of “getting away with murder.” But more than a year into his tenure, Trump has taken only limited action, and drug prices continue to climb. (Werner and Johnson, 5/7)
In other national health care news —
Bloomberg:
Obamacare Premiums To Surge Next Year, Early Requests Show
The first glimpse of what health-insurance companies plan to charge for Obamacare plans next year suggests there’s no relief ahead for consumers saddled with high premiums. Several insurers in Maryland and Virginia are seeking double-digit percentage increases in monthly costs for individual medical plans in 2019. The largest increases are being sought by CareFirst, which wants to nearly double the amount it charges on average for one coverage option in Maryland, and raise the cost of another in Virginia by 64 percent. (Tozzi, 5/7)
Politico:
'People Are Dying Every Day': Drug Distributors To Face Lawmakers
The nation's largest drug distributors spent millions on Washington lobbying last year. Now they're about to find out how much goodwill it has bought them in Congress. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is hauling in the executives of five drug distribution companies Tuesday after spending the last year investigating their role as middlemen between drugmakers and the hospitals and pharmacies that dispensed millions of pills in towns that are now ravaged by the opioid epidemic. (Meyer, 5/8)
Politico:
5 Unintended Consequences Of Addressing The Opioid Crisis
The crackdown on opioids is having unintended consequences. The push for fewer opioid prescriptions at lower doses and for shorter periods has increased suffering for some pain patients including those near the end of life. The emphasis on opioids has also overshadowed other forms of substance abuse that require attention. (Karlin-Smith and Ehley, 5/8)
The Associated Press:
US Abortion Clinics Face Surge Of Trespassing And Blockades
America’s abortion clinics experienced a major upsurge in trespassing, obstruction and blockades by anti-abortion activists in 2017, according to an annual survey by an industry group. The National Abortion Federation report chronicled a litany of actions that ranged from coordinated trespassing efforts by abortion opponents, repeated brick-throwing at windows of a Cleveland clinic and an attempted bombing in Illinois. (Crary, 5/7)
Bloomberg:
Athenahealth Surges After Elliott Seeks $6.46 Billion Takeover
Athenahealth Inc. surged after activist investor Elliott Management Corp. bid to acquire the medical company for $160 a share, saying executives had “failed to correct a host of operational issues.” Elliott, the New York hedge fund led by billionaire Paul Singer, said Monday that it made an all-cash takeover offer, which would value Athenahealth at $6.46 billion. Athenahealth, which makes an online platform doctors use to manage their practices, said in a statement that its board will “carefully review the proposal.” (Deveau and Ockerman, 5/7)