STAT Plus: Pharmalittle: Azar says Medicare is open to price negotiations; drug makers say opioid settlements are in jeopardy
And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is unsettled, but we do plan to promenade with an “unofficial” mascot because we are canine-sitting for a few days. Otherwise, we hope to hang with a short person or two and catch up on our reading. And what about you? This may be a good time to pursue activities that promote calm, given recent events. Or you could instead indulge your impulses and go Armageddon shopping. But remember what Chicken Little said when told the sky was falling? “Sell sky,” was the reply. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar testified that the Trump administration is open to Medicare negotiation of drug prices, Inside Health Policy tells us. Just last week, Azar said the president’s proposed budget supports a Senate Finance Committee drug pricing bill, which specifically does not include pricing negotiations. “We are open to that, but it has to be practical and implementable,” Azar told House Ways & Means Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) when asked whether the administration supports government price negotiation.
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