Page 17 - AHATA
P. 17
A2 u.s. news
Monday 12 May 2025
Trump promises to order that the US pay only the price other
nations do for some drugs
By WILL WEISSERT and attempt would give foreign
AMANDA SEITZ governments the "upper
Associated Press hand" in deciding the value
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- of medicines in the U.S.. The
dent Donald Trump says he'll industry has long argued that
sign an executive order on forcing lower prices will hurt
Monday that, if implement- profits, and ultimately affect
ed, could bring down the innovation and its efforts to
costs of some medications develop new medicines.
— reviving a failed effort from Only drugs on Medicare Part
his first term on an issue he's B — the insurance for doc-
talked up since even before tor's office visits — are likely to
becoming president. be covered under the plan.
The order Trump is promising Medicare beneficiaries are
will direct the U.S. Depart- responsible for picking up
ment of Health and Human some of the costs to get those
Services to tie what Medicare medications during doctor's
pays for medications admin- Boxes for the medications Wegovy and Zepbound are arranged for a photograph in California on visits, and for traditional Medi-
istrated in a doctor's office Thursday, May 8, 2025. care enrollees there is no an-
to the lowest price paid by Associated Press nual out-of-pocket cap on
other countries. what they pay.
"I will be instituting a MOST Nation that pays the lowest pledging to sign the order treated fairly, and our citi- A report by the Trump admin-
FAVORED NATION'S POLICY price anywhere in the World," on Monday morning at the zens Healthcare Costs will be istration during its first term
whereby the United States will the president posted Sun- White House. reduced by numbers never found that the U.S. spends
pay the same price as the day on his social media site, "Our Country will finally be even thought of before," twice as much as some
Trump added. other countries in covering
His proposal would likely those drugs. Medicare Part
only impact certain drugs B drug spending topped $33
covered by Medicare and billion in 2021. More common
given in an office — think infu- prescription drugs filled at a
sions that treat cancer, and pharmacy would probably
other injectables. But it could not be covered by the new
potentially bring significant order. Trump's post formally
savings to the government, previewing the action came
although the "TRILLIONS OF after he teased a "very big
DOLLARS" Trump boasted announcement" last week.
about in his post may be an He gave no details, except to
exaggeration. note that it wasn't related to
Medicare provides health in- trade or the tariffs he has an-
surance for roughly 70 million nounced imposing on much
older Americans. Complaints of the world.
about U.S. drug prices being "We're going to have a very,
notoriously high, even when very big announcement to
compared with other large make — like as big as it gets,"
and wealthy countries, have Trump said last week.
long drawn the ire of both He came into his first term ac-
parties, but a lasting fix has cusing pharmaceutical com-
never cleared Congress. panies of "getting away with
Under the planned order, the murder" and complaining
federal government would tie that other countries whose
what it pays pharmaceutical governments set drug prices
companies for those drugs were taking advantage of
to the price paid by a group Americans.
of other, economically ad- On Sunday, Trump took aim
vanced countries — the so- at the industry again, writing
called "most favored nation" that the "Pharmaceutical/
approach. Drug Companies would say,
The proposal will face fierce for years, that it was Research
opposition from the pharma- and Development Costs, and
ceutical industry. that all of these costs were,
It was a rule that Trump tried and would be, for no reason
to adopt during his first term, whatsoever, borne by the
but could never get through. 'suckers' of America, ALONE."
He signed a similar executive Referring to drug companies'
order in the final weeks of his powerful lobbying efforts, he
presidency, but a court order said that campaign contribu-
later blocked the rule from tions "can do wonders, but
going into effect under the not with me, and not with
Biden administration. the Republican Party."
The pharmaceutical indus- "We are going to do the right
try argued that Trump's 2020 thing," he wrote.q
