10 drugs targeted for Medicare price negotiations as Biden pitches cost reductions

AOL ^ | August 29, 2023 at 2:26 PM | CHRIS MEGERIAN, TOM MURPHY AND AMANDA SEITZ

[Red Badger]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, struggling to convince Americans that he's improved their lives as he runs for reelection, hailed his administration's Tuesday announcement that several drugs would be targeted for Medicare's first-ever price negotiations.

The drugs include the blood thinner Eliquis, diabetes treatment Jardiance and eight other medications. The negotiation process was authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act, which Biden signed last year, capping decades of debate over whether the federal government should be allowed to haggle with pharmaceutical companies.

Any lower prices won't take effect for three years, and the path forward could be further complicated by litigation from drugmakers and heavy criticism from Republicans.

But the effort is a centerpiece of Biden's reelection pitch as the Democrat tries to show Americans he's deserving of a second term because of the work he's doing to lower costs while the country is struggling with inflation. The drug negotiations, like many of Biden's biggest policy moves, will take time to play out, and his challenge is to persuade the public to be patient.

“For all of you out there, I get it, and millions of Americans get it,” Biden said at the White House. “I promise you. I’m going to have your back and I’ll never stop fighting for you on this issue."

He noted that he got “no help from the other team" — meaning Republicans — when it came to lowering prescription costs.

The drugs on the list announced Tuesday accounted for $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs for Medicare patients last year.

The Medicare program paid more than $50 billion for the drugs between June 1, 2022, and May 31, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS.

[eyeamok]

the blood thinner Eliquis,

I just filled a 3 month prescription for $1441.00

[Red Badger]

I took it for 3 months back in 2020 at $500 per month..............

[qwerty1234]

Notably absent from the list is any Pfizer drugs. Make of it what you will, but it smells of payback for throwing their weight behind Biden.

[Red Badger]

That includes more than $16 billion on Eliquis, a total that does not count discounts or rebates that are already negotiated for the drug. The drug from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb treats blood clots in the legs and lungs and reduces the risk of stroke in people with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.

[citizen]

Ozempic?

[Red Badger]

Not in the article...............There may be more..............

[Tammy60]

Check and see if you can get the discount card for Eliquis. I have one and it saves me a lot of money.

[eyeamok]

Funny, the “discount” was for $200 more than what CVS charged

[frank ballenger]

Dan Bongino said last year, 1st— negotiations on price, 2nd —shortages of the drug grip the nation.

[William Tell]

I'm on three of the ten listed drugs.

Earlier this year a pharmacy clerk processing my purchase looked up at me and said, "Don't you have insurance?" My co-pay for two of them was $996.

[frank ballenger]

Seriously, the incredibly high prices of some medications should not be tolerated by a civilized country.

[jimtorr]

I have been taking the blood thinner Xarelto. It costs around $2,000 for 3 months. That is what my insurance company pays. I shudder to think what it may cost without insurance.

[Red Badger]

Here in Florida, Publix Grocery chain gives a discount to people without insurance on certain drugs. And some drugs are FREE!..................

[jimtorr]

Perhaps you should check for a manufacturer discount program.

I have a manufacturer discount program for Xarelto. With the discount I only pay $80 per month.

[hanamizu]

Don’t know how much you take per day or how big a dose, but here are CanAmerica’s prices for Eliquis. They have drugs from several nations, including Canada and the U.K. as well as from nations I’d have my doubts of. But for what I take from Canadian manufacture is considerably cheeper than CVS.

Delivery takes about a week.

https://www.canamericaplus.com/eliquis

[Carriage Hill]

My Entesto 99/103 is up to $477/ 30day.
My Combivent Respimat Emergency Inhaler is up to $656/ 30day.
My Jardiance is up to $519/ 30day.

Here’s my “list” (looks like a damned pharmacy stockroom):

• Rx Meds:
Entresto 97/103mg
Jardiance 25mg
Eplerenone 50 Mg Tablet
Pacerone 100 Mg Tablet
Metformin 1,000mg
Nitroglycerin 0.4 Mg Sublingual Tablet (if needed)
Furosemide 20 Mg Tablet
Doxycycline Hyclate 100 Mg Capsule
Ondansetron 4 Mg Disintegrating Tablet
Zolpidem ER 12.5 Mg Tablet (Extended Release)
Finasteride 5 Mg Tablet
Cyclobenzaprine 10 Mg Tablet
Metoprolol Succinate ER 50 Mg Tablet, Extended Release 24 Hr
Pantoprazole 40 Mg Tablet 2x/day
Combivent Respimat 20 Mcg-100 Mcg/actuation Solution For Inhalation
Meloxicam 15 Mg Tablet
Tamsulosin 0.4 Mg Capsule
Tramadol 50mg
Furosemide 20 Mg Tablet
Gabapentin 300mg (Peripheral Neuropathy in feet)
Crestor 10mg Rosuvastatin
Valium 10mg (if needed)
Cholecalciferol (vit D3) 1,000 Unit
Glipizide 5mg

• OTC Meds:
Aspirin Coated - 81mg
Centrum Silver Multi-Vitamin
Phillips Probiotic
Vitamin D-3 5,000units
Vitamin B-1 100mg
Vitamin B-12 5,000mcg
Prevagen Extra Strength
Presser Eye Vitamins Areds 2
Nicoderm Cq 14 Mg/24 Hr Daily Transdermal Patch
Vitamin C 1,000mg
Vitamin K-2 100mcg
Magnesium 500mg
Beet Root 1000mg
Zinc 50mg
COQ10 100mg
Quercetin 500mg
Fish Oil 1,000mg

[Red Badger]

https://www.goodrx.com/entresto

https://www.goodrx.com/jardiance

[Red Badger]

https://www.goodrx.com/eplerenone

https://www.goodrx.com/pacerone

[Sooth2222]

The law sets the drug price ceiling at between 25% and 60% of its list price, with no price floor. Drug makers that don’t participate or reject the government’s price will incur a crippling daily excise tax that starts at 186% and eventually climbs to 1,900% of the drug’s daily revenues.

If they want the drugs to be unavailable at any price, this is an excellent way to do it! (1900% of $0 is $0.)

(I'm convinced that all those responsible for the design of the US health care system either took the short bus to school, or are working for the other side.)