Railing against ‘global freeloading,’ Trump offers plan to lower drug prices - STAT

Railing against ‘global freeloading,’ Trump offers plan to lower drug prices - STAT

What you need to know about Trump's drug pricing proposal

President Trump detailed a new plan to lower drug prices yesterday — and railed against "global freeloading" in the process. Here's the rundown:

• The proposal: HHS proposed a plan to tie the amount of money that the government pays for certain drugs to their cost in other countries. It's essentially a pilot program that would be run through Medicare Part B, which covers drugs administered by doctors.
• Trump’s take: In announcing the action, Trump blasted pharma companies for having “rigged the system” against American consumers by charging higher prices in the U.S. than they do abroad.
• PhRMA's pushback: The trade group for drug makers called the proposal “price controls” and said it was “disappointed the administration put the needs of patients aside with these proposals.”