Welcome to the Week in Review.
Trump Administration Continues Medicare Negotiation
In a promising sign for patients, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) confirmed that the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program remains on track, marking a critical moment for the new administration and for patients. P4AD welcomed the announcement, and in a statement released on Wednesday, founder and president David Mitchell reiterated that this was a positive step forward, but that the real test will be in the execution. Patients need negotiations that deliver price cuts similar or better than those secured in the first round – where list prices were reduced by more than 60 percent on average. P4AD is fiercely committed to protecting the historic negotiation program and ensuring its successful implementation. — (CMS, P4AD, AARP)
US v. Pharma: Patient-Led Petition Delivery
Standing outside the headquarters of The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the powerful lobbying arm of the pharmaceutical industry, P4AD and allied organizations delivered a clear message to drug company CEOs: Drop your lawsuits and let Medicare negotiate lower prices for patients. Backed by more than 202,000 petition signatures, patients demanded an end to Big Pharma’s legal assault on the program as they urged the CEO of PhRMA, among others, to uphold the law and not interfere with the popular program supported by more than 80% of Americans on both sides of the aisle. At the demonstration, Judy Aiken, a P4AD patient advocate, who paid over $9,000 for Enbrel in 2023, shared how Medicare negotiation will provide long-overdue relief when the new lowered prices come into effect next year. As drug companies and their allies continue to threaten the 2022 prescription drug law in court, patients aren’t backing down. — (Inside Health Policy, P4AD, P4AD)
HHS Secretary Confirmation Hearings
During heated, back-to-back confirmation hearings, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. provided limited details on how he plans to lower drug prices for patients — a pressing issuefor a majority of American families. If confirmed as HHS Secretary, he would shape the future of programs and policies to make prescriptions more affordable — including the historic Medicare Negotiation Program. When asked about the program, RFK Jr. vaguely committed to continuing the initiative but offered no clarity about his plans or vision for implementation. His positions could determine whether it delivers real savings or is weakened to protect Big Pharma’s profits. Additionally, when facing questions about legislation that nearly passed during the 118th Congress and would have targeted pharmacy benefit managers, RFK Jr. replied that he had not read the specific bill. In closing remarks, Senator Bernie Sanders called out the lack of clear answers from RFK Jr. on why Americans pay some of the highest prices in the world. Nine in ten Americans want more to be done to lower drug prices – but whether RFK Jr. will stand with patients or protect Pharma’s profits is becoming increasingly uncertain despite his apparent dislike of the industry. — (STAT, Politico, West Health, P4AD)
In Case You Missed It
Senators Dick Durbin and Chuck Grassley re-introduced the Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act, a bipartisan bill, endorsed by P4AD, that would require drug manufacturers to disclose prices on advertisements for prescription drugs.
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