Free Republic

Right before Thanksgiving Day, House Democrats passed Build Back Better, one of the most misguided and ill-timed bills in the history of congressional legislation. At a time when an average of 1,300 Americans a day are dying from Covid-19 and tens of millions are battling chronic diseases from cancer to diabetes, the bill would discourage the development of lifesaving drugs. America's seniors will suffer the most as medicine cabinets soon turn distressingly bare. Build Back Better would set drug reimbursements far below the market-based prices that Medicare, the nation's largest insurance program, currently pays. Cheaper drugs sound great, in theory....

You cannot have your cake and eat it, too. It is a tale as old as time. But apparently, with its latest “Most Favored Nation” executive order on drug pricing, the Trump administration has stumbled upon a solution to this conundrum. Or so they would have you believe.The entire phenomenon centers around the hotly contested Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. On one hand, the Trump administration is litigating before the Supreme Court in favor of the entire law being struck down as unconstitutional. On the other hand, the administration would like to use an obscure provision within the very...

After almost five months of a nationally-declared state of emergency for COVID-19, Americans everywhere are hopeful for better treatment and even a vaccine for the disease. Doctors and scientists in America and around the world are racing for the treatments that can put an end to this unique disease, but that will take time and money. In particular, pharmaceutical companies often spend considerable funds over an extended period of time to find a new cure. Profits from the latest cures are often reinvested on the next round of research and development leading to future drugs that will save lives. Sadly,...

This story first appeared in 1600 Daily, the White House’s evening newsletter. Subscribe now to get breaking news from President Trump before anyone else. Americans have waited decades for Washington to keep its promise to fix soaring prescription drug prices. Now, thanks to President Trump, that long wait is over. [video at whitehouse.gov link]President Trump Takes Historic Action to Reduce Medicine Prices   The President signed four sweeping executive orders on Friday, which together will significantly lower the cost of prescription drugs while increasing access to life-saving medications such as insulin: The first order directs federally qualified health centers to...

Today, President Donald J. Trump sent his principles for drug pricing reform to Capitol Hill. The President’s principles and vision are policies that already have bipartisan support and would bring lasting relief from incredibly high drug prices for America’s seniors. President Trump’s bold leadership lowered drug prices last year for the first time in almost 50 years and has increased access to more affordable drugs for millions of Americans. As the President called for in his State of the Union address, the time is now for Congress to build on that progress, set aside partisan pandering, and work with this White...

For over a decade, prescription drug prices have soared with no end in sight. Price hikes have forced 1 in 10 Americans to ration their prescription drugs. This dangerous practice has taken the lives of at least 10 Americans—many of them never saw their 30th birthday. Some parents found second jobs to pay for their children’s prescription drugs and others dived deep into debt to cover their drug bills.  Unlike with other industries and companies, consumers can’t boycott the pharmaceutical giants or opt for affordable generic drugs because, in many cases, there aren’t any generics available. The largest pharmaceuticals have cornered...

The FDA just approved a groundbreaking new treatment for cystic fibrosis, a disease that causes a life-threatening buildup of mucus in the lungs. This drug offers hope to the 30,000 Americans who suffer from this disease, many of whom lack viable treatment options. With the approval of this drug, cystic fibrosis patients have joined the countless other people whose lives have been improved by the dedicated efforts of American biotech firms. Some members of Congress underestimate how crucial private sector investment is to drug development. They believe that scientists at the National Institutes of Health develop the majority of new...

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D. N.Y., said Tuesday she plans to vote against a bill put forward by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that would allow the government to negotiate lower prices on prescription drugs. Ocasio-Cortez and other liberal lawmakers have been urging Pelosi for months to make the bill more progressive and have threatened to delay the bill without the changes, including making negotiated drug prices available to those without insurance, Politico reported.

The Trump Administration is committed to lowering prescription drug prices while encouraging medical innovation to help patients access new lifesaving drugs. H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019, may share the Trump Administration’s first goal of lowering prices, but the threat it poses to continued medical innovation will harm American patients in ways that far outweigh any benefits. H.R. 3 aims to lower prices for select drugs by effectively forcing drug manufacturers to accept prices set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services—or otherwise face an excise tax of up to 95 percent of sales. This...

Over the years, Congressional Republicans have become hopelessly addicted. Like so many afflicted with similar dependencies, they are in denial. Repeatedly claiming they can quit any time they want. In the coming weeks, we will find out just how sincere those claims really are. The addiction referred to is not to drugs themselves, but to drug money. They have grown hopelessly dependent on the huge donations served up by the pharmaceutical industry. It’s a hard habit to break. A growing army of Americans now see the unmistakable relationship between these large political contributions and Congressional failure to take any serious...