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It would be easy to think that the current political climate makes it impossible for anything to get done in Washington. Divided government prevents bipartisan action on even the most inconsequential legislation. The Mueller investigation continues, with new twists and turns reported on cable news in relentlessly unending loops. The longest government shutdown in American history is over, but the specter of Shutdown Part II looms. Seemingly every day, new Democratic presidential candidates join the field, positioning themselves as the most unwilling to work with the man they hope to unseat in 2020. Viral stories such as the yearbook photos of Virginia’s governor dominate the news cycle for days on end. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress debate the futures of their respective parties as insurgents from the extremes threaten intra-party unity. It is no wonder that many outside observers believe substantive legislative action in 2019 is little more than a pipe dream. Such a view would be shortsighted, however; Congress and the president are moving closer to a major deal on what may be one of the most important issues facing America today. (Jason Altmire, 2/7)

After some very public cajoling, executives from some of the world’s largest drug makers have now agreed to testify about drug pricing at a Senate hearing later this month. Of course, they would be foolish not to do so. The Senate Finance Committee leadership is not especially friendly to the pharmaceutical industry, which is already under siege. Showing up is simply smart politics in the face of proposals and legislation that could change the way they do business. (Ed Silverman, 2/11)

In a perfect world, the system for conveying medications from their makers to patients should be designed to deliver the lowest-cost drugs. The system in the U.S. doesn’t even come close. Insurers should provide the lowest-cost and highest-quality drug benefit for each plan, public or private. But they don’t. (Robin Feldman, 2/11)

The cost of prescription drugs is a significant factor in the lives of millions of Americans. Because these Americans and their families and friends know that drug costs can be a significant part of the monthly budget, this topic will be a big issue in the next election. Democrats — many of them planning to run for president in 2020 — already are out with several destructive proposals. (Newt Gingrich and Joe Desantis, 2/8)

Health care economist Uwe Reinhardt once described pricing in the health care sector as “chaos behind a veil of secrecy.” That description aptly applies to the opaque U.S. pharmaceutical market. To make health care policy that works, we must lift the secret veil on drug pricing. The administration’s recent proposal to fundamentally change the drug rebate process is one step in that direction. (G. William Hoagland, 2/11)

In response to the problem of rising list prices for drugs, elected officials continue to propose counterproductive reforms. Whether it is importing drugs from Canada or indexing U.S. drug prices to the prices charged in other countries, these policies will make the current bad situation worse because they fail to understand the disincentives that are the root cause of the problem. Until now. (Wayne Winegarden, 2/12)

As an independent pharmacist, I see every day the burden that rising prescription drug costs are putting on patients. The people I serve express growing concern about the cost of the medicines they need today, and they’re even more alarmed at how much those medications will cost in the future. It is also my vantage point as a pharmacist that allows me to see why drug costs are rising: A handful of out-of-state companies known as pharmacy benefit managers, acting as middlemen between insurers and drug manufacturers, are driving up costs by manipulating the prescription drug market — a market they largely control. (Jeff Carson, 2/10)

The Senate Committee on Finance recently invited pharmaceutical executives to testify regarding high drug prices. Many declined the invitation, offering a variety of excuses including one company who claimed their testimony would “create a language-barrier problem.” Nevertheless, based on this request and recent statements from legislators in the House, is clear that members of both parties are poised to take on the high cost of prescription drugs. As a gerontologist ( a person who studies the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging), I say it’s about time. (Linda Phillips, 2/7)