DENVER — There have been strong reactions to President Donald Trump's executive order that rescinded a Biden-era executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug costs.
Biden's order instructed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to explore different ways to lower drug costs for Medicare and Medicaid programs. In response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a list of generic medicines that would be capped at $2.
That program was activated, and it's unclear if it ever will be now that the action has been voided by Trump.
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Denver7 reached out to spokespersons for the CMS and HHS, who said they are not responding to most media requests at this time.
“HHS has issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health," the HHS spokesperson said in a statement. "This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization. There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case-by-case basis.”
Trump's executive order does not change portions of Biden's Inflation Reduction Act that created a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on prescription drugs, placed a $35 cap on Insulin, and allowed HHS to negotiate prices for high drug costs.
Recently, HHS announced 15 new brand-name drugs that have agreed to negotiate their prices for Medicare beneficiaries.
While campaigning, Trump said he would bring down prescription drug costs, but a plan or timeline for that has yet to be introduced.
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