What is an HRA-IIHIC?

President Trump wants to allow more people be able to purchase lower cost health plans. Most of the media has focused on plans to make it easier to purchase short-term plans and association health plans. However, a recent final rule is also making it easier to use pre-tax dollars to fund premiums for individual health…

Experts debate Trump drug pricing policies

What will Trump’s “favored nation” policy do to drug prices and innovation? How will 340B reforms affect the price hospitals charge for drugs? Myself and my colleague Jim Baumgardner weigh in with our thoughts in an article in FormularyWatch. “US drug prices will certainly fall. However, prices outside the US will rise,” Jason Shafrin, PhD,…

My take on American Patients First

In broad strokes, the American Patients First plan aims to lower list prices, lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs while maintaining incentives for innovation.   In short, this is a sensible strategy, although there are some concerns about how more restrictive formulary designs could restrict consumer choice. American Patients First in brief To maintain manufacturers incentives to innovate,…

What’s at stake if U.S. drug prices fall?

In his 2018 State of the Union address, President Trump said that “fixing the injustice of high drug prices” will be one of the top priorities of his administration in the coming year. Lower drug prices could directly benefit consumers without insurance or those with high-deductible health plans; commercially insured individuals could hope to see…

Trump’s First 100 Days: A Healthcare Review

The Order to begin the ACA Repeal. Appointing Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Appointing Tom Price to run HHS. Proposing the American Health Care Act (AHCA) to replace Obamacare. Confirming Seema Verma to run CMS. Delayed implementation of bundeled payments. Trump decides to continue Obamacare insurance subsidies. All this and more happened in Donald…