PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS ++ ++++

PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS Stat: SCOTUS Rejects Pharma Challenge To Medicare Drug Price Negotiations The Supreme Court on Monday dealt a major blow to the brand drug industry’s legal campaign against the Medicare drug price negotiation program. The court declined to take up lawsuits against the program by AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk. The justices did not give a reason for their decision. (Wilkerson, 5/18) https://www.statnews.com/2026/05/18/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-medicare-drug-price-negotiations/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8-ZGzsoIsxyKDlmf5_R26GYoESldPKYVbO9avBbpwb2e6nFtS0tN_nvoO7PSC7iVKXgCIl8uERioiyCCvjqclsVnkhfQ&_hsmi=419442247&utm_content=419442247&utm_source=hs_email Stat: Generic Drugs Added To TrumpRx Via Amazon, Mark Cuban Deals The White House announced an expansion of its prescription drug discount platform, TrumpRx, on Monday, adding more than 600 generic drugs to the website. The expansion comes via a partnership with entrepreneur Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Company, as well as Amazon Pharmacy and GoodRx, which both also provide drug savings or low-cost prescription medicines. (Cirruzzo and Payne, 5/18) https://www.statnews.com/2026/05/18/trumprx-adds-generic-drugs-amazon-pharmacy-mark-cuban-goodrx/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-90bcBQxNJN6pqN5SfeipN4pJr9SGgrY4-HHKnWNzzu3jqExGJfTbOgvgLXAJVqVaAR_pIZKjDMKaZsP39DPGZBYQ0oBg&_hsmi=419442247&utm_content=419442247&utm_source=hs_email THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION Bloomberg: HHS Rescinds Vaccine Panel Charter After Administrative Error The US Department of Health and Human Services has rescinded the committee charter for a key vaccine advisory panel after previously changing the rules to allow Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remake the group. In a notice posted on Monday, the agency said it is returning the group to its original framework for the next two years following an administrative error. HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t provide the appropriate amount of time for public comment before issuing the new charter on April 6, the notice said. (Nix, 5/18) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-18/hhs-rescinds-vaccine-panel-charter-after-administrative-error?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-89Bqy0AaqwY5BAjllIdU9F2kmAqXVZgLRn0RKhpezjQei04w_vv4BWyLeDp3avE95vYDxDxCVlqibHYBFHf6cF6aKRIQ&_hsmi=419442247&utm_content=419442247&utm_source=hs_email MedPage Today: HHS Panel That Aims To Reshape U.S. Healthcare Holds Its First Meeting A new HHS health advisory committee met very briefly Monday to introduce its members and outline its broad goals for reshaping large parts of the healthcare system. The Healthcare Advisory Committee, whose existence was announced on March 26, says on its website that its purpose is to "advise HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator [Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA] on ways to improve how care is financed and delivered across Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program [CHIP], and the [Affordable Care Act] Health Insurance Marketplace. The committee will provide non-binding recommendations to inform federal healthcare policy and program administration." (Frieden, 5/18) https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/healthpolicy/121328?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_qDpdEf0WMsgN1Jh_EXRFvC73igRXxzb22EMLeufCjS12aZ1LorrN_MhcYlziWym6o8S0ZoZU0_qmiyI88R7j0aa9anw&_hsmi=419442247&utm_content=419442247&utm_source=hs_email The Hill: Trump Proposes Partial Rollback Of ‘Forever Chemical’ Drinking Water Protections The Trump administration on Monday moved to partially roll back drinking water protections from toxic “forever chemicals.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to allow some delays for water systems to regulate these chemicals. It also said it would rescind four of the six types of forever chemicals covered under a Biden-era rule. (Frazin, 5/18) https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5883481-forever-chemicals-pfas-epa/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8AL56_e_1_LkevtrlfSHeZB3_Z9_187oHoYUCwLdAS_g7eADcrzWAySx1PwpW73P8ougok0C7LkFFkOODZFRxi0gFjFw&_hsmi=419442247&utm_content=419442247&utm_source=hs_email AP: Trump Distorts Recent Revisions Of Scientific Projections Of Global Warming President Donald Trump recently blasted the accuracy of global warming projections in a Truth Social post that itself painted a distorted view of the science, projections and how the international community discusses climate policy. Every several years, the United Nations produces massive scientific reports on what’s happening and likely to happen with human-caused global warming. Scientists update some of the scenarios used to make future projections. One key control knob, which determines the amount and impact of future climate change, is carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. The more carbon pollution, the more global warming, so scientists base their projections on a buffet of potential scenarios. (Borenstein, 5/18) https://apnews.com/article/trump-climate-change-fact-check-93087e5b751dc15852a33c734576f375?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8hc_uE7WU5pbtPxojjfdkIJm3wzfnihmH9zYHboA3DM7p_-yxuPB64ULd5MpDnBslX1FI9t2WNopTNxwhNrtpf5u_Ebw&_hsmi=419442247&utm_content=419442247&utm_source=hs_email