With no deal to curb drug costs, Trump tries his own changes
WASHINGTON (AP) — Unable to land the big deal with Congress to curb drug costs, President Donald Trump is moving on his own to allow imports of prescription medicines, along with other limited steps that might have some election-year appeal.
At a White House ceremony, Trump is set to sign four executive orders. One is about importation. The others would direct drugmaker rebates straight to patients, provide insulin and EpiPens at steep discounts to low-income people, and use lower international prices to pay for some Medicare drugs.
A senior administration official described the proposals on condition of anonymity before the event. They mostly update earlier administration ideas that have not gone into effect.
Democrats are eager to draw a contrast between Trump's orders and their sweeping plans to authorize Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies, an idea the president had backed as a candidate. A bill by Speaker Nancy Pelosi already passed the House and aligns with Joe Biden's approach.
Consumers may not notice many immediate changes from the new orders, which must be carried out by the federal bureaucracy and could face court challenges.
It's definitely not the bill-signing the White House had once hoped for. Trump came into office complaining that pharmaceutical companies were “getting away with murder” and promising to bring them under control. Nearly four years later, things are much the same despite some recent moderation in price increases.
A drive to pass major legislation this year stalled in Congress. Although Trump told Republican senators that lowering prescription prices is “something you have to do,” many remain reluctant to use federal authority to force drugmakers to charge less.
Meanwhile, congressional Democrats are...
