According to the FDA and Department of Health and Human Services, President Trump signed an executive order for his “America First Healthcare Plan,” which will lower costs for insurance and pharmaceuticals, according to the agencies.
As part of the President’s plan, on Thursday, HHS:
- Issued a final rule and guidance from the Food and Drug Administration to open the first-ever pathway for states to use to safely import prescription drugs to lower patients drug costs.
- Solicited private-sector proposals, as called for in the President’s July executive order, on allowing Americans to get lower-cost FDA-approved drugs and insulins from American pharmacies via importation and reimportation.
- Released the 2021 Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Premium landscape, showing that average 2021 premiums for Medicare Advantage plans are expected to decline 34.2% from 2017 while plan choice, benefits, and enrollment continue to increase, and that Part D premiums will be down 12% from 2017, with over 1,600 drug plans offering insulin at no more than $35 per month.
- Issued a notice of proposed rulemaking from the Health Resources and Services Administration to pass on steep discounts at community health centers on insulin and epinephrine to Americans who are uninsured or have high cost-sharing, including the nearly 3 million health center patients with diabetes.
“Today’s action is an important part of FDA’s priorities to promote choice and competition. The Safe Importation Action Plan aims to clearly describe procedures to import drugs that would lower prices and improve access while also maintaining the high quality and safety Americans expect and deserve,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, MD. “The FDA will continue to assess and act on opportunities to increase competition in the prescription drug market and help reduce the cost of medicines.”
