White House Unveils Executive Order to Slash Prescription Drug Costs
AHA
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Contributed by: Kate Gamble
Summary
On April 15, the White House issued an executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug costs, directing federal agencies to take several actions, including providing discounted insulin and injectable epinephrine at federally funded health centers and assessing Medicare payment structures to discourage shifting drug administration from physician offices to hospital outpatient departments. The order also calls for a cost survey of covered outpatient drugs and the creation of a new payment model for high-cost medications. The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for implementing these measures within specified deadlines, as part of a larger effort to alleviate the financial burden of prescription drugs on patients and healthcare providers. While Lisa Kidder Hrobsky from the American Hospital Association supported the initiatives, she voiced concerns regarding the policies' impact on hospitals, especially those providing outpatient care.
