-
Stat: Drug Makers Are Getting Ready to Shape Trumpcare Stat by Dylan Scott—The upcoming fight over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act promises to shake up hospitals and insurers, but drug makers also stand to gain—or lose—a lot. On the upside, congressional Republicans have already signaled that they plan to roll back billions of dollars in fees the law imposed on the industry. But drug makers also risk losing millions of new customers who became insured under the health care law. And if President-elect Donald Trump and Congress decide they need to cover the full cost of whatever they propose to replace the law, they might turn to drug companies to pay up
-
Global Prescription Drug Spend Seen at $1.5 Trillion in 2021: Reuters by Berkrot—Global spending on prescription medicines will reach nearly $1.5 trillion by 2021, although the annual rate of growth will decrease from recent years, according to a forecast by Quintiles IMS Holding released on Tuesday. That figure, based on wholesale pricing, is up nearly $370 billion from estimated 2016 spending. The United States will account for up to $675 billion of the $1.5 trillion. When accounting for anticipated discounts and rebates to health insurers and other payers, 2021 net spending will be closer to $1 trillion, the QuintilesIMS Outlook for Global Medicines through 2021 report found.