When Cost Control Ignores the Data: Why the IRA Fails to Address Cardiovascular Disparities Gary A. Puckrein, PhD, National Minority Quality Forum | February 9, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/sponsored-content/when-cost-control-ignores-the-data-why-the-ira-fails-to-address-cardiovascular-disparities?utm_campaign=34032557-Health%20Affairs%20Sunday%20Update%202026&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--4jBvnMgbny5hP3CkU2GiCVY3uJTf4PrVTfD9Ol-JCY91KMA-MHfo4_c0DUZHxCo7CAsP1ggjh08vIdCl7MlK3-GT7WA&_hsmi=403582794&utm_content=403582794&utm_source=hs_email The Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) drug price negotiation provisions are celebrated as a watershed moment in American healthcare policy. Yet this celebration obscures a fundamental truth: government price controls are the wrong approach to healthcare cost reduction. By underpaying for products and services, government—acting as monopoly purchaser by force of law—distorts the marketplace, creating a host of adverse clinical and financial outcomes. The apparent benefit of government price controls is a mirage.