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Hello and happy Tuesday! Our intrepid First Impressions editor Torie Bosch is back, and she’s got some big ideas for a feature in the coming months. Be sure to meet him, and continue to send news, tips and take on [email protected].
The DNC kicks off with a conference on reproductive rights
The Democratic National Convention is underway in Chicago. President Biden delivered a speech early Monday night saying “we have finally defeated Big Pharma” in the Medicare drug price negotiations. Vice President Harris is scheduled to speak on Thursday, as he runs with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will take the stage on Wednesday night.
The first hours of primetime speeches set the tone for Democrats to blast the GOP’s attacks on abortion rights nationwide. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Harris “will restore abortion rights across the country,” referring to several lawmakers who have been rallying around the vice president’s record. Amanda Zurawski of Texas, Biden’s first State of the Union guest, and Kaitlyn Joshua explain how the restrictions after overturning Roe v. Wade put their lives and pregnancies at risk. A third woman, Hadley Duvall, shared her experience of suffering a miscarriage after being sexually abused by her stepfather. Biden said in his speech that former President Trump “will do everything in his power to ban abortion nationwide,” although Trump himself said he wants to leave the issue up to the states.
Biden also suggested having an unconfirmed low rate in history. The US is down to 2023, although the rate rose earlier this year. He reiterated his drug pricing policies and said Harris and Walz would continue to take on the industry by expanding cost-sharing coverage for drugs beyond Medicare — which, ironically, is the plan. the pharmaceutical industry is very fond of you.
ALS spokespeople Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya also spoke, arguing that Harris “knows the promise of science” because of her mother’s background as a breast cancer researcher and celebrating Biden’s research funding. who signed them into law. More of their story from my colleague Lev Facher.
While Republicans didn’t focus much on health care during their convention last month, Democrats have created a platform to point to Biden’s health achievements — such as negotiated drug prices which were revealed last week – and where the next Harris administration would take the mantle, from. more discounted drugs for less medical bills. Check out what else you can expect this week.
The Democrats’ health policy agenda
The Democrats’ platform is six times longer than the Republicans’, but on health policy it includes many things we’ve all seen before.
In addition to being able to get states to cooperate and repeal the medical debt, Democrats have been making small changes to policies they’ve already passed, such as drug reform and the Affordable Care Act. They are trying to restore abortion protections in Roe v. Wade.
Their biggest problem is that many of these ideas may not be helpful to Congress, an institution that failed to set policies the first time the laws were made (or the courts have difficult issues). And unless Democrats make a landslide victory in Congress, they will have trouble implementing much of this plan at all even if they retain the White House.
The architect of the ACA changed the investment bank’s analysis of investments
Peter Orszag was instrumental in creating the Affordable Care Act. Now, he wants antitrust officials to be more open to scrutinizing the health deals he believes the law has encouraged — and which are making more money for his investment bank, STAT’s Bob Herman writes.
The Lazard chief lamented, several times this year, how antitrust critics of the Biden administration have been thwarting or halting deals that have been rampant since the law took effect in 2010. Many of them are “vertical integration” that Orszag and companies argue for. will accelerate affordable, high-quality health services.
Others are more skeptical, arguing that we haven’t seen that in practice – and in fact after many high-profile deals, they have. up prices. More from Bob in the next chapter on Orzsag and the antitrust fight.
Three drugs account for half of the Medicare prescription drug bill
Enbrel, Stelara, and Eliquis make up more than half of the revenue from the top 10 drugs in Medicare price negotiations, according to a report by the Brookings Institution’s Center for Health Policy.
The Biden administration announced last week that if the Medicare negotiations were in place in 2023, the government would have saved $6 billion. Brookings research has reached the same conclusion, although it has noted that the actual amount of savings is low. For example, drugs selected for consultation are exempt from discounts of 10% to 20% that would otherwise be covered under Medicare Part D. The $6 billion figure does not account for lost discounts. .
But both the administration and Brookings’ estimates of savings make the rebates that insurers were already negotiating, according to John Wilkerson. Both found that Medicare negotiated prices that were 22% lower than what insurers were negotiating — insurers can negotiate prices away from Medicare-negotiated rates in at least some cases.
The largest price increases were obtained from drugs that had not been significantly reduced before the Medicare negotiations.
What we read
Study uncovers ‘hidden’ cancer burden in patients’ partners, STAT
Harris is no longer pushing for Medicare for All. Progressives say it’s okay, Politico
Rick Doblin, ‘released,’ blasts FDA for rejecting Lykos drug and turns to global action for MDMA treatment, STAT.
How the world fell asleep in the mpox global crisis, Bloomberg
#Abortion #rights #drug #pricing #program #featured #night #DNC
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