The move follows months of negotiations between Medicare, the federal health insurance system for seniors, and the pharmaceutical companies.
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A welcome victory, just a few months before the presidential election. US President Joe Biden and Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris announced on Thursday, August 15, a drop in “historical” the price of ten drugs for diabetes, blood clots or heart problems.
The move follows months of negotiations between the federal health insurance system for seniors, Medicare, and the pharmaceutical companies. It will save $1.5 billion (€1.4 billion) in the first year, in 2026, for affected policyholders, Americans over 65, and $6 billion for taxpayers, according to the White House.
The price of drugs in the United States, higher than in other developed countries, has historically escaped any regulation or public control. It is not uncommon, even for insured people, to have to pay part of it out of pocket. This victory stems from one of Joe Biden’s flagship laws, called the “Inflation Reduction Act”, a pharaonic investment plan focusing on the energy transition and purchasing power.
