The White House kills the drug refund rule

The Trump administration has withdrawn its radical proposal to eliminate government drug plan rebates, a White House spokesman told POLITICO.

"On the basis of careful analysis and thorough examination, the president decided to withdraw the rule of the rebate," said spokesman Judd Deere in a statement. , and President Trump will consider using all the tools to keep the cost of prescription drugs down. "

History continues below

The proposal – a centerpiece of Trump's drug price reduction strategy – had divided the HHS and the White House. HHS secretary Alex Azar had argued that removing the rebates would lead to lower catalog prices, warning in April that any policy that did not take into account discounts "would simply not lower catalog prices. other tax hawks on the grounds that it was too expensive, which cost the government nearly $ 180 billion over a decade.

Some lawmakers also feared that the rule will increase Medicare Part D premiums for seniors.

Axios first reported that the White House was enforcing the rule.

In a statement released today, HHS highlighted ongoing efforts to reduce drug prices.

"Secretary Azar is fighting alongside President Trump to reduce drug costs and protect American seniors," said Caitlin Oakley, spokesman for HHS. drugs, give patients meaningful transparency, and the list goes on. "