Ameet Sarpatwari

For ACA enrollees with incomes above 400% of the poverty level -- who would lose subsidy eligibility entirely if enhanced credits expire -- effects vary by age and zip code. A 60 year old in Baltimore making $63,000 has an increase of $5,207. In Charleston, WV, it's $22,509.

Obesity Drugs May Drop to as Little as $150 a Month

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/h...

Some good questions to consider as this announcement is made.

FDA’s top drug regulator placed on leave amid investigation George Tidmarsh, the FDA's top drug regulator, has been placed on leave after being accused of abusing his regulatory authority, STAT has learned.

As @hollylynchez.bsky.social and @rachelsachs.bsky.social have pointed out, there are alternative framings of this story, see e.g., www.statnews.com/2025/11/02/f....

Top FDA drug regulator’s unusual criticism of a therapy gets Wall Street wagging A top FDA drug regulator’s unusual criticism of a therapy on social media has Wall Street investors wagging.

FWIW, Tidmarsh's concerns about approving drugs on a 1-day tumor board model are legit. But there's more to the LinkedIn story than the NYT piece lets on: www.statnews.com/2025/09/29/f...

More troubles at the FDA. This time tension regarding the the new Priority Review Voucher Program. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/h...

IMO this is one of the cruelest coverage policies that made it into OBBBA.

It's telling immigrants who are doing everything "by the book" that they're completely SOL when it comes to coverage options for up to five years (if they're poor)

As I note, "For companies looking to manage the costs, 'the solution to the problem is just making it more difficult to get the drugs,'" We need a better mechanism for the pricing and payment of transformative drugs.

The Obesity-Drug Revolution Is Stalling Somehow, it’s becoming even harder to get a GLP-1.

@theatlantic.com reporter Nick Florko discusses his personal challenges accessing GLP-1 drugs, shining a light into a dysfunctional system. www.theatlantic.com/health/2025/...

Speech bubble with text inside reading: The HPC is hiring! Office of Pharmaceutical Policy and analysis roles

The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission is #hiring a Deputy Director and Health Economist for the newly established Office of Pharmaceutical Policy and Analysis (OPPA).

Deputy Director: lnkd.in/ef-NFG3W

Health Economist: lnkd.in/eF4-dMTQ

Learn more: lnkd.in/eT6F5Ma3
#HealthPolicy #Pharma

Information session flyer with QR code for registering!

Are you interested in pursuing a PhD in Health Policy & Health Services Research at Vanderbilt? Join me on Nov 12th at noon ET for an information session. If you cannot join, we have a ton of information available on our website to help you with your application! www.vumc.org/health-polic...

FDA review of drugs is slowing while application delays are growing, analysis finds The upheaval at the FDA appears to be taking a toll on the pharmaceutical industry, according to a new analysis of key agency metrics.

FDA review of drugs is slowing while application delays are growing, analysis finds
www.statnews.com/pharmalot/20... via @statnews.com

154,000 New York City Students Were Homeless Last Year, a Record Number

Nearly 1 in 7 students in NYC experienced homelessness last school year. In some neighborhoods, more than 1 in 5 school children were homeless.

This is an emergency.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/n...

Happy Diwali! May light and compassion prevail over darkness and hatred.

Trump plans could lower IVF costs for some — but fall short of his campaign promise The administration said employers will be able to offer standalone insurance for fertility treatments and that one major drugmaker will offer discounts for IVF drugs.

Trump's big IVF announcement is a retreat from his campaign promise. It doesn't make IVF available for all.

1. Employers don't have to offer the "fertility benefit" it creates
2. The benefit doesn't have to cover IVF
3. It could cover the conservative alternatives criticized by mainstream med

More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days. The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...

Americans have been dragged, tackled, beaten, tased and shot by immigration agents. They’ve had their necks kneeled on. They’ve been held outside in the rain while in their underwear. @propublica.org @nicolefoy.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social
www.propublica.org/article/immi...

YouTube video by ABC News In-depth Files Declassified: The disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart | Planet America

This week, I had the privilege of appearing on Planet America, an Australian Broadcasting Corporation television show, to discuss drug pricing reform. The segment starts at minute 15 and goes to minute 27. www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_Qo...

Trump administration delays effort to address Medicare drug price negotiation loophole Trump administration delays effort to address Medicare drug price negotiation loophole.

Disappointing to see the administration punting on this issue. It is a big one in oncology, and one that could encourage "product hopping" to maintain high prices after decades of blockbuster sales.

President announces TrumpRx website for drugs, and pricing deal with Pfizer The Trump administration says it is making deals with drug companies to lower prices U.S. consumers pay for medicines. But key details are missing on how the initiative would work.

My thoughts in this NPR piece:
www.npr.org/sections/sho...

"I think it's more underwhelming than what the president is touting," he says. "I think it's more window dressing than the transformational sort of reforms that are needed to really provide relief to Americans struggling with high prices."

President announces TrumpRx website for drugs, and pricing deal with Pfizer The Trump administration says it is making deals with drug companies to lower prices U.S. consumers pay for medicines. But key details are missing on how the initiative would work.

My thoughts in this NPR piece:
www.npr.org/sections/sho...

"I think it's more underwhelming than what the president is touting," he says. "I think it's more window dressing than the transformational sort of reforms that are needed to really provide relief to Americans struggling with high prices."

TrumpRx prescription drug discounts Eucrisa- dermatitis - 80% discount Duavee- osteoporosis- 85% discount Zavzpret- migraine - 50% discount Xeljanz- rheumatoid arthritis - 40% discount

TrumpRx program promises discounts of 40-85% for Americans buying drugs directly from manufacturers

White House fact sheet says discounts are off list prices

Pfizer’s Xeljanz list price = $6,073/month

40% discount = $3,643/month

@dusetzinas.bsky.social: “How is this a reasonable cash price?”

Amen.

People with Medicare Will Face Higher Costs for Some Orphan Drugs Due to Changes in the New Tax and Budget Law | KFF This brief analyzes changes in the new tax and budget reconciliation law that modify which drugs will be selected for Medicare drug price negotiation, which will lead to higher Medicare spending and h...

ICYMI last week, reposting this @kff.org analysis from @jcubanski.bsky.social and @tricia-neuman.bsky.social about the reconciliation law's changes to the Medicare negotiation program that are expected to keep prices higher for longer for both Medicare and beneficiaries. www.kff.org/medicare/peo...

Several scientists have received letters from the NIH director disinviting them from their positions on advisory councils that make final decisions on grant funding, I'm told.

In July, I reported that NIH staff were told to select members aligned with Trump administration priorities.

Polish Skier Climbs Everest and Skis Down Without Extra Oxygen

This is stunning. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/s...

Six Justices shockingly conclude that it's likely the Impoundment Control precludes an otherwise valid APA claim to require expenditure of obligated funds. This argument, which turns the ICA on its head, is so absurd that the Trump DOJ itself wisely disclaimed it a month ago. Utterly lawless.

Justice Kagan writes a dissent, joined by Sotomayor and Jackson. The majority has “enabled the presidential usurpation of Congress‘s power of the purse”.

Please consider submitting an application - or nominating great candidates - to join the American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics Board of Directors. Our organization is in an exciting time of transition and creativity. Join us in shaping ASLME's future.

aslme.org/nominate-som...

I just realized I accidentally linked the accompanying editorial instead of the paper itself. Correct link below!

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...