Trump’s Plan To Combat Opioid Crisis Includes Death Penalty For Drug Dealers

Politico: Exclusive: Trump Finalizing Opioid Plan That Includes Death Penalty For Dealers
The Trump administration is finalizing a long-awaited plan that it says will solve the opioid crisis, but it also calls for law enforcement measures — like the death penalty for some drug dealers — that public health advocates and congressional Republicans warn will detract from efforts to reverse the epidemic. The ambitious plan, which the White House has quietly been circulating among political appointees this month, could be announced as soon as Monday when President Donald Trump visits New Hampshire, a state hard hit by the epidemic. It includes a mix of prevention and treatment measures that advocates have long endorsed, as well as beefed-up enforcement in line with the president’s frequent calls for a harsh crackdown on drug traffickers and dealers. (Diamond, 3/15)

In other national health care news —

The Wall Street Journal: Billions Of Dollars On The Line As Insurers Await Obamacare Ruling
Health insurers and the Trump administration face a court decision shortly that will determine whether the government must pay insurers billions of dollars despite Republican efforts to block payments they view as an industry bailout. Insurers have filed roughly two-dozen lawsuits claiming the federal government reneged on promises it made to pay them under the Affordable Care Act. A decision could come at any time on pivotal litigation before a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. (Armour, 3/15)

Stat: Lawmakers Want To Remove Gag Clauses That Boost Drug Costs At The Pharmacy Counter
The next time you walk into your pharmacy, you may not get the best deal on your prescription, but don’t blame the pharmacist. Many allegedly have contracts with behind-the-scenes middlemen that contain “gag clauses” preventing them from telling you that paying cash for a prescription might cost less than your health insurance copayment. And pharmacists can face significant penalties if they disclose the difference. So now, a trio of senators has introduced a pair of bills — the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act and the Know the Lowest Price Act — that would prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from using these gag clauses in order to pocket the difference. (Silverman, 3/15)

The Hill: Senators Target 'Gag Clauses' That Hide Potential Savings On Prescriptions 
The clauses, which keep pharmacies from proactively telling customers they could save money on a prescription if they paid out of pocket instead of through insurance, has sometimes been included in contracts between pharmacies, insurers and companies that manage drug benefits for employers called prescription benefit managers (PBMs). “Insurance is intended to save consumers money. Gag clauses in contracts that prohibit pharmacists from telling patients about the best prescription drug prices do the opposite,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said in a statement Thursday. (Hellmann, 3/15)

Stat: Senate Signals Interest In Changes To Drug Discount Program
Key Senate Republicans have signaled an increasing interest in making changes to the so-called 340B drug discount program, adding to a chorus of House Republicans who are pushing to overhaul the program. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee met Thursday to discuss the program with representatives of the hospitals who favor the program and the pharmaceutical companies who have long called for reining it in. The hearing was the first sign of serious Senate interest in the issue, and it follows a string of relatively heated meetings in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a flurry of bill introductions on the topic from lawmakers in both chambers and both parties. (Mershon, 3/15)

The Washington Post: House To Try Again On Bill Easing Use Of Unapproved Drugs
The House plans to try anew next week to approve a Republican bill making it simpler for fatally ill people to try unproven treatments. And this time, the measure seems certain to pass. Lawmakers voted for the legislation on Tuesday by a lopsided 259-140 vote. But it lost because GOP leaders had used a procedure, normally reserved for uncontroversial bills, that requires a two-thirds majority for passage. Tuesday’s vote fell just short of that. President Donald Trump backed the legislation and GOP lawmakers lined up behind it nearly unanimously, but Democrats opposed it by more than a 4-1 margin. (Fram, 3/15)