Health Care
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Health Care
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Supreme Court deals blow to pharma challenge of Medicare price negotiation |
The Supreme Court declined to take up petitions from several of the country’s largest pharmaceutical companies challenging the Medicare drug price negotiation program.
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© Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press
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The decision leaves several lower court rulings upholding the program that Congress enacted as part of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act 2022. The justices did not issue comments with the decision.
The drugmakers' appeals were considered longshots, as the lower courts were almost all in agreement. The Supreme Court often looks for disagreement among lower courts before granting a case.
Other lawsuits over the program are still pending, but the loss by AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk will make those other cases more difficult.
The law requires the government to negotiate prices for certain high-cost drugs in Medicare on an annual basis, with the first deals taking effect in 2026. Drugmakers have been fighting the Medicare negotiation program for years.
The drugmakers said the program violates their due process rights because there is no real negotiation; the companies pay the prices set by the federal government, or they can’t participate in Medicare.
Lower courts have rejected those arguments, noting that the companies are free to pull their products from government health programs.
To date, Medicare has negotiated prices for 25 of the highest cost drugs, including GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy.
The Trump administration has been highly critical of the Inflation Reduction Act but has taken ownership of the Medicare price negotiation program, embracing efforts to lower drug prices.
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Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:
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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. Under that Biden-era regulation, water systems are required to filter out at …
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday withdrew its amended charter for a highly influential vaccine advisory committee that would have loosened eligibility requirements, citing administrative errors. In a notice set to be officially published in the Federal Register, HHS formally withdrew its proposed amendment to the charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for …
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In response to a growing Ebola outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday said it is imposing a ban on foreign passport holders from entering the country if they have been in Uganda, Congo or South Sudan in the previous 21 days. The order comes as the CDC confirmed an American physician working in the outbreak zone tested positive for the virus. The doctor is being transported to Germany, along …
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching:
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- The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing Thursday on gender transition procedures on minors.
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Your care shouldn’t be put on hold |
When insurers delay approvals or require endless paperwork, patients are left waiting for care they need now. Addressing harmful corporate insurer practices can help ensure timely access to treatment and protect 24/7 care. Learn more
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
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Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship docks in the Netherlands for disinfection
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ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — The cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has docked at the Dutch port of Rotterdam for disinfection, wrapping up a troubled journey that put international health authorities on alert. The MV Hondius was still carrying 25 crew members and two medical personnel as it reached Europe’s largest …
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Local and state headlines on health care:
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- Vermont rejected the federal government’s vaccine rollbacks. But doctors are still seeing their impact (VT Digger)
- California lawmakers rush $25 million to hospitals without knowing who qualifies (CalMatters)
- Louisiana moves to back psychedelic drug research for mental health, addiction treatment (Louisiana Illuminator)
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Health news we’sve flagged from other outlets:
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- RFK Jr. promised a health overhaul led by outsiders. Now many are gone (Washington Post)
- Hospitals are taking the fall for high health care costs (Politico)
- Trump bought stock in drugmaker as his government boosted its obesity drugs (KFF Health News)
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Psychedelic Treatment: What If the Breakthrough Was Already Here
Tuesday, May 19, 8 am - 10 am ET
Mental illness costs the U.S. economy more than $280 billion annually, drives veteran suicide rates, and places mounting strain on everything from emergency rooms to the workforce. On May 19, join The Hill, in partnership with Definium Therapeutics, for a timely mental health policy forum. Speaker highlights:
Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) Dr. Michael Davis, Deputy Center Director, Center for Drug Evaluation & Research (CDER), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) John Eaton, Vice President, Complex Care, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Mary Giliberti, Chief Public Policy Officer, Mental Health America
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill:
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You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow!
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