Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Puts Heft Behind Bipartisan Compromise Drug Bill In Senate
The White House is ramping up its push to get a bill through Congress that curbs prescription drug costs, feeling a new urgency as the impeachment investigation advances amid the 2020 election campaign. The effort has progressed beyond anything seen in years, says President Donald Trump鈥檚 top domestic policy adviser. 鈥淭his is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to confront these issues in a nonideological fashion,鈥 adviser Joe Grogan said in a recent session with reporters. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 11/17)
President Donald Trump said on Friday he would be giving U.S. states the right to buy prescription drugs from other countries, as part of a bid to boost consumer access to cheaper medicines. "I'm going to be giving governors the right very shortly to buy ... their prescription drugs from other countries," Trump said at a White House event accompanied by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, among other officials. (11/15)
Meanwhile 鈥
A group of top biotech venture capitalists are issuing a stark warning to Congress: They won鈥檛 be able to pour money into biotech research if Democrats鈥 signature drug pricing bill becomes law. 鈥淚f policies such as those included within H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, are passed, our ability to continue to invest in future biomedical innovation will be severely constrained, thus crushing the hopes of millions of patient waiting for the next breakthroughs,鈥 the letter states. (Florko, 11/18)