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The Daily

A Major Overhaul of Prescription Drug Prices

Aug 31, 2023
In this engaging discussion, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, a health policy correspondent for The New York Times, and Rebecca Robbins, a business reporter specializing in the pharmaceutical industry, explore the historic overhaul empowering Medicare to negotiate drug prices. They dive into the intense lobbying efforts from drugmakers to resist these changes and the potential effects on medication costs for older Americans. The guests shed light on how this could reshape the pharmaceutical landscape, balancing corporate profitability with patient affordability.
32:45

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Quick takeaways

  • The Biden administration is implementing a major change in Medicare that allows for direct negotiation of drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, aiming to lower drug prices and reduce the financial burden on Medicare patients.
  • The recent change allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices represents a long-awaited correction to previous shortcomings in Medicare's prescription drug coverage and could pave the way for future regulations and negotiations in the pharmaceutical industry.

Deep dives

Medicare's Paradigm Shift: Direct Drug Price Negotiation

The Biden administration has announced a major change in Medicare, allowing for the direct negotiation of drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. This paradigm shift aims to lower drug prices, as Americans currently pay prices that are two and a half times higher than comparable countries. Medicare, which previously did not cover prescription drugs, will now begin negotiations for 10 drugs related to chronic conditions. This change marks the most significant shift in the US healthcare system since the Affordable Care Act. The ultimate goal is to reduce the financial burden on Medicare patients and make healthcare more affordable.

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