Amid much discussion in Washington over affordability, President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled the outlines of a health care plan he's calling on Congress to consider, which the administration is calling "the Great Health Care Plan." In a statement you can read here, NCPA CEO Douglas Hoey reacted to the plan with a mix of praise and caution. The plan focuses heavily on the kind of transparency for which NCPA has been fighting, he says, while cautioning the president that TrumpRx must preserve the patient/pharmacist relationship to be successful.
The plan has four major pillars: lowering drug prices, lowering insurance premiums, holding big insurance companies accountable, and maximizing price transparency. Among other provisions, it suggests ending kickbacks from PBMs to brokerage middlemen, codifying most-favored nation pricing, increasing the number of drugs available over the counter, requiring providers accepting Medicaid or Medicare to prominently display pricing and fees, and more. The president also announced that TrumpRx — a website that's expected to aggregate discount programs for patients to shop in one place — is expected to go live this month.
We're digging into the details of the proposal and will keep you posted as we learn more about it and its implications for pharmacy. In the meantime, here is a White House webpage about the plan as well as a fact sheet with additional information. Although we applaud the administration's desire to lower drug costs, increase transparency and empower consumers, there are areas where Congress must act swiftly that would complement the president's proposal. Congress must pass PBM reform now to address PBMs' unscrupulous behavior in Medicaid and Medicare Part D that increases costs and decreases patient access to their community pharmacies.
