Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden's Speech To Focus On Efforts To Reduce Drug Costs
President Joe Biden on Wednesday said the federal Medicare program should negotiate prices for at least 50 prescription drugs each year, up from the current target of 20 medicines. That’s one of several new health-care policy proposals that Biden will outline during his State of the Union address Thursday, according to a fact sheet released by the White House on Wednesday. (Constantino, 3/6)
President Biden will use Thursday night's State of the Union address to again claim credit for lowering Americans' drug costs — something the public just isn't willing to concede. (Reed and Goldman, 3/7)
In his speech, the president is expected to call on Congress to extend the $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs — which is currently scheduled to go into effect for senior citizens in 2025 — to all Americans with private insurance. (Erickson, 3/6)
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep on Wednesday that Biden's speech will also highlight his agenda for a potential second term. "Lowering costs, continuing to make people's lives better by investing in childcare, eldercare, paid family and medical leave, continued progress on student debt," Zients said, listing a few. "But I think importantly, the president is also going to call for restoring Roe v. Wade and giving women freedom over their healthcare. And he'll talk about protecting, not taking away, freedoms in other areas, as well as voting rights." But Zients also acknowledged that restoring Roe is one of many objectives that the president can't accomplish without Congress. (Treisman, 3/7)
Ahead of Biden’s election-year State of the Union address to Congress, here’s a look at the data behind some of the topics and policies he could bring up. (Matthews and Choi, 3/7)
