Drug Pricing
Biosimilars
The Biosimilar Promise
Reforms Can Improve Competition and Generate More Savings
Reforms Can Improve Competition and Generate More Savings By Wayne Winegarden | January 7, 2025 READ PDF Executive Summary Reforms that will strengthen the biosimilar market and expand savings opportunities include: Reforming (ideally repealing) the Inflation Reduction Act’s price control measures. Improving the incentives underlying the current buy-and-bill system to ...
Commentary
Medicare should cover anti-obesity drugs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed a rule expanding Medicare and Medicaid patients’ access to anti-obesity drugs such as GLP-1s. Congress is also considering such a move. Expanding coverage to these patient groups makes sense. Read the entire op-ed here.
Commentary
Keep Your Price Controls Off Weight-Loss Drugs
Biden administration is proposing that Medicare and Medicaid cover Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. It’s unclear what the Trump administration will do with its predecessor’s proposal. Democrats may be trying to goad Medicare under Trump into slapping price controls on GLP-1s — something progressives have long wanted ...
Commentary
Learn more about transparency in pricing
Hospital Pricing In the Shadows Never Acceptable
Time to Bring Hospital Pricing Out the Shadows, It’s Long Overdue Just one in five hospitals is complying with federal price-transparency rules today, according to a new report from the group Patient Rights Advocate. Put differently, hospitals are keeping the prices of their services secret in violation of the law. ...
Commentary
Drug Price Controls Threaten Cancer Cures
A federal judge in New Jersey recently dismissed a lawsuit seeking to strike down the Inflation Reduction Act’s program of price controls for prescription drugs dispensed through Medicare. It was the fifth suit of its kind to fail this year. Democrats have cheered the IRA’s price controls for supposedly making ...
Biosimilars
The Biosimilar Promise
Despite Achievements, Barriers That Discourage Biosimilar Use Remain
Despite Achievements, Barriers That Discourage Biosimilar Use Remain By Wayne Winegarden | December 2, 2024 READ PDF Executive Summary The Inflation Reduction Act’s price controls discourage biosimilar development. Payment system inefficiencies, such as the buy-and-bill payment system and rebate walls, disincentivize the use of lower cost biosimilars. Despite the savings ...
affordability boards
Learn more about drug pricing
Drug ‘affordability’ boards won’t really help patients
Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board recently declared that Stelara, a popular treatment for Crohn’s disease and other autoimmune conditions, is “unaffordable.” Soon, the board’s five unelected members could decide whether to impose an “upper payment limit” on the medication. The decision could have significant consequences not just in Colorado but ...
Commentary
Learn more about how price controls hurt consumers
Yet More Evidence That Price Controls Are Bad For Patients
The Democrats’ days in control of federal healthcare policy are numbered. But they were able to do quite a bit of damage during President Biden’s term. The scheme of price controls they’ve put in place for drugs dispensed through Medicare is a case in point. Ten drugs in Medicare Part ...
340B
Learn more about how 340B needs reform
The 340B drug discount program is well-intentioned, but must be reformed
Most government support programs provide benefits directly to people, whether it is SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), or housing voucher benefits. But when it comes to healthcare, our government provides healthcare benefits by paying institutions, not patients. Shouldn’t funds follow the patient – not ...
Biosimilars
The Biosimilar Promise
Low-Cost Biosimilars Are Saving Billions, Potential Savings Are Even Greater
Low-Cost Biosimilars Are Saving Billions, Potential Savings Are Even Greater By Wayne Winegarden | October 28, 2024 READ PDF Executive Summary Since 2019, biosimilars have obtained a majority share of most markets where they compete. The combination of lower prices (both biosimilar and originator) and rising market share could have ...
The Biosimilar Promise
Reforms Can Improve Competition and Generate More Savings
Reforms Can Improve Competition and Generate More Savings By Wayne Winegarden | January 7, 2025 READ PDF Executive Summary Reforms that will strengthen the biosimilar market and expand savings opportunities include: Reforming (ideally repealing) the Inflation Reduction Act’s price control measures. Improving the incentives underlying the current buy-and-bill system to ...
Medicare should cover anti-obesity drugs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed a rule expanding Medicare and Medicaid patients’ access to anti-obesity drugs such as GLP-1s. Congress is also considering such a move. Expanding coverage to these patient groups makes sense. Read the entire op-ed here.
Keep Your Price Controls Off Weight-Loss Drugs
Biden administration is proposing that Medicare and Medicaid cover Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. It’s unclear what the Trump administration will do with its predecessor’s proposal. Democrats may be trying to goad Medicare under Trump into slapping price controls on GLP-1s — something progressives have long wanted ...
Learn more about transparency in pricing
Hospital Pricing In the Shadows Never Acceptable
Time to Bring Hospital Pricing Out the Shadows, It’s Long Overdue Just one in five hospitals is complying with federal price-transparency rules today, according to a new report from the group Patient Rights Advocate. Put differently, hospitals are keeping the prices of their services secret in violation of the law. ...
Drug Price Controls Threaten Cancer Cures
A federal judge in New Jersey recently dismissed a lawsuit seeking to strike down the Inflation Reduction Act’s program of price controls for prescription drugs dispensed through Medicare. It was the fifth suit of its kind to fail this year. Democrats have cheered the IRA’s price controls for supposedly making ...
The Biosimilar Promise
Despite Achievements, Barriers That Discourage Biosimilar Use Remain
Despite Achievements, Barriers That Discourage Biosimilar Use Remain By Wayne Winegarden | December 2, 2024 READ PDF Executive Summary The Inflation Reduction Act’s price controls discourage biosimilar development. Payment system inefficiencies, such as the buy-and-bill payment system and rebate walls, disincentivize the use of lower cost biosimilars. Despite the savings ...
Learn more about drug pricing
Drug ‘affordability’ boards won’t really help patients
Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board recently declared that Stelara, a popular treatment for Crohn’s disease and other autoimmune conditions, is “unaffordable.” Soon, the board’s five unelected members could decide whether to impose an “upper payment limit” on the medication. The decision could have significant consequences not just in Colorado but ...
Learn more about how price controls hurt consumers
Yet More Evidence That Price Controls Are Bad For Patients
The Democrats’ days in control of federal healthcare policy are numbered. But they were able to do quite a bit of damage during President Biden’s term. The scheme of price controls they’ve put in place for drugs dispensed through Medicare is a case in point. Ten drugs in Medicare Part ...
Learn more about how 340B needs reform
The 340B drug discount program is well-intentioned, but must be reformed
Most government support programs provide benefits directly to people, whether it is SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), or housing voucher benefits. But when it comes to healthcare, our government provides healthcare benefits by paying institutions, not patients. Shouldn’t funds follow the patient – not ...
The Biosimilar Promise
Low-Cost Biosimilars Are Saving Billions, Potential Savings Are Even Greater
Low-Cost Biosimilars Are Saving Billions, Potential Savings Are Even Greater By Wayne Winegarden | October 28, 2024 READ PDF Executive Summary Since 2019, biosimilars have obtained a majority share of most markets where they compete. The combination of lower prices (both biosimilar and originator) and rising market share could have ...
