Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump Said he will sign a decree on Monday that if it was implemented, could reduce the costs of certain drugs – relaunch a failed effort of his first mandate on a problem, he has spoken since even before becoming president.
The order that Trump is promising will direct the Department of Health and Social Services to tie what Medicine Pays drugs administered in a doctor's office at the lowest price paid by other countries.
“I will establish the most favored nation policy by which the United States will pay the same price as the nation that pays the lowest price around the world,” published the president on his social media site on Sunday, committing to sign the order on Monday morning at the White House.
“Our country will finally be treated fairly, and the costs of citizens' health care will be reduced by the figures never thought before,” added Trump.
His proposal would probably have an impact that certain drugs covered by health insurance and given in an office – think of the infusions that treat cancer and other injectable. But that could potentially bring significant savings to the government, although the “billions of dollars” that Trump has boasted in his post could be an exaggeration.
Medicare provides health insurance to around 70 million older Americans. Complaints concerning the prices of American drugs being notoriously high, even compared to other large rich countries, have long attracted the anger of the two parties, but a lasting solution has never eliminated the congress.
Under the planned order, the federal government would link what it pays for pharmaceutical companies for these drugs at the price paid by a group of other economically advanced countries – the so -called “most favored nation” approach.
The proposal will be faced with fierce opposition from the pharmaceutical industry.
It was a rule that Trump tried to adopt during his first mandate, but could never pass. He signed a similar decree in the last weeks of his presidency, but a court order Later, blocked the rule to enter into force within the framework of the Biden administration.
The pharmaceutical industry argued that Trump's attempt in 2020 would give foreign governments the “above” to decide the value of medicines in the United States. The industry has long argued that forcing the drop in prices will harm profits and will ultimately affect innovation and its efforts to develop new drugs.
Only drugs on Medicare share B – Insurance for visits to the doctor's office – are likely to be covered by the plan. Medicare beneficiaries are responsible for recovering some of the costs to obtain these drugs during visits to the doctor and traditional medication registrants, there is no annual ceiling on what they pay.
A report By the Trump administration, during its first mandate, noted that the United States spends twice as much as some other countries to cover these drugs. Medicare -shaped B -share medicine expenditure exceeded $ 33 billion in 2021.
More common prescription drugs Filled in a pharmacy would probably not be covered by the new order.
Trump's post officially previewed the action occurred after teasing a “very big announcement” last week. He gave no details, except to note that he was not linked to the trade or the prices that he announced imposing a large part of the world.
“We are going to have a very, very big announcement to make – as much as possible,” said Trump last week.
He entered his first mandate which accused the pharmaceutical companies of “fleeing with murder” and of complaining that other countries whose governments have set the prices of medicines benefited from the Americans.
On Sunday, Trump targeted the industry again, by writing that “pharmaceutical / pharmaceutical companies would say, for years, that these are research and development costs, and that all these costs were and would, without any reason, be borne by the '' rejections of America, alone.”
Referring to the powerful lobbying efforts of pharmaceutical companies, he said that the contributions of the campaign “can do wonders, but not with me, and not with the republican party”.
“We are going to do the right thing,” he wrote.
