Trump railed against drug prices. Now the industry's allies help shape his agenda
Trump railed against drug prices. Now the industry's allies help shape his agenda
Noam N. Levey Contact Reporter
Donald Trump and his congressional allies are making big plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act and overhaul other government health programs.
But the president-elect appears to have downgraded plans to act aggressively to control rising drug prices, handing the pharmaceutical industry an early victory and providing another illustration of the influence of lobbyists on the new Trump administration, despite Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp” of special interests in Washington.
Trump, who once made the cost of pharmaceuticals a central part of his campaign health care pitch and included the issue on his campaign website, hasn’t mentioned the subject since the election, even though the issue is consistently cited as the top health care problem Americans want to see fixed.
And Trump’s transition health care agenda makes no mention of drug prices, though it lists six other health care priorities, including restricting abortion, speeding federal approval of new drugs and restructuring Medicare and Medicaid.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-trump-drug-prices-20161116-story.html
