May 2, 2019— With its pricing practices under a congressional microscope, the pharmaceutical industry’s top trade group spent nearly $10 million on lobbying expenditures in the first three months of this year. That figure is on top of additional millions spent by some of the individual companies that have received the most attention recently in the drug pricing debate. The … Read More
Let’s Celebrate Maternal Health on Mother’s Day
May 10, 2019— For those of us dedicated to safety-net hospitals and the patients they serve, Mother’s Day is about much more than homemade cards and breakfast in bed. It’s also about recognizing that honoring mothers means ensuring access to maternal health, especially for women living in underserved areas. The issue of maternal health is one that is close to … Read More
How special interests get their way in DC: Front groups, former Democratic senators, Democratic public affairs shops doing the dirty work of their supposed “adversaries.”
One of the biggest political fights brewing in Washington DC is over Medicare potentially changing to direct negotiations with drugmakers over drug pricing for seniors in the entitlement program. Generally a policy favored on the left, it was also championed by President Trump on the 2016 campaign trail and continues to hold his interest. Conservatives are largely opposed, but in … Read More
340B Key to Trump Administration’s HIV Strategy
April 25, 2019— President Trump’s ambitious campaign to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. will rely heavily on the 340B drug pricing program, according to senior administration officials. A key focus of the effort is to connect people at risk of HIV infection to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a treatment that can cost nearly $2,000 a month. In his State … Read More