Inside STAT: House progressives plot overhaul of Pelosi drug pricing bill

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT (D-TEXAS), ONE OF THE LAWMAKERS LOOKING TO AMEND SPEAKER PELOSI'S PLAN. (ERIC GAY/AP)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plan for overhauling drug pricing, which was unveiled last month, is less of a masterpiece and more of a rough sketch — at least according to progressive lawmakers. And they have several ideas to improve the legislation. For the past two weeks, with help from outside advocacy groups, left-wing lawmakers have been compiling a list of suggestions for the bill, including the number of drugs eligible for Medicare price negotiation to immediately capping prices for new drugs upon their launch. How progressive lawmakers will get their proposed changes into the larger bill is unclear, especially with Pelosi’s hopes of having it pass the House by the end of this month. STAT Plus subscribers can read more from Lev Facher and Nicholas Florko here.