It’s official: Americans have now seen more brand-name prescription drug price increases this month than for any January in the previous decade.
The record was set Wednesday — the same day Joe Biden was sworn in as president — according to data compiled by nonprofit drug research firm 46brooklyn, run by Ohioans Eric Pachman and Antonio Ciaccia.
The Dispatch reported earlier this month that 2021 was likely headed for a record-breaking start.
January typically is when pharmaceutical companies set new list prices for the year, although some make mid-year changes as well. Because U.S. drug pricing is so complicated, these increases may not translate to corresponding hikes in what you or your insurance pays.
With a week left, this month already has seen price increases for 905 prescription drugs, which tops the mark of 895 established for all of January 2018. Unlike previous years, every price change so far has represented an increase.
The new record for the past 11 years was set when Tokyo-based Eisai raised the price on six of its prescription drugs. The most popular is Banzel, taken to prevent or control epileptic seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, for which U.S. Medicaid programs paid $117 million last year. The list price went up 4.2%.
In case you’re already suffering withdrawal…
The New York Times has compiled “The Complete List of Donald Trump’s Twitter Insults (2015-2021).”
Hope you’ve got a lot of free time.
If you perchance want to read only the shots Trump took at rival John Kasich, check here for a list that includes “did a bad job in Ohio,” “yet another loser!” “bought and paid for by lobbyists!” “good for Mexico!” “dummy,” “pathetic,” “total failure,” and “one of the worst presidential candidates in history.”
Jen Psaki, press secretary for Joe Biden, generally got good marks for how she handled her first press briefing a few hours after the new Democratic president was sworn in on the Capitol steps.
She said, “His objective and his commitment is to bring transparency and truth back to government, to share the truth even when it’s hard to hear, and that’s something that I hope to deliver on in this role as well.”
It certainly was a sharp contrast to the overt falsehoods spread from that podium during the past four years, starting with the size of Trump’s inaugural crowd and the birth of “alternative facts.”
But Psaki’s pledge, like Jimmy Carter’s “I’ll never lie to you” promise in 1976, will surely be questioned in the weeks to come.
For example, does dodging a question count as full transparency?
About 23 minutes into the debut presser, she was asked by Owen Jensen of the EWTN Global Catholic Network about the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortions, and the Mexico City Policy, which, broadly speaking, does the same for abortions overseas.
Psaki’s response: “Well, I think we’ll have more to say on the Mexico City policy in the coming days, but I will just take the opportunity to remind all of you that he is a devout Catholic and somebody who attends church regularly. He started his day attending church with his family this morning, but I don’t have anything more for you on that.”
What she didn’t say: Biden’s campaign platform says he “will rescind the Mexico City Policy (also referred to as the global gag rule) that President Trump reinstated and expanded,” just as Democratic presidents before him have done.
The platform also says that he supports congressional repeal of the Hyde Amendment and backs coverage of abortion in the “public option” health-care plan he proposes.
Most years, the first bills introduced by the Ohio legislature represent the priorities of the majority party — Republicans in this case.
Examples include Senate Bill 5 in 2011, the measure to gut collective bargaining by public employee unions rejected in a referendum by voters, and House Bill 6, the $1 billion 2019 bailout of Ohio’s two nuclear power plants now at the heart of an FBI investigation.
So when Senate Bill 1 was rolled out earlier this month, two groups responded favorably to a measure about teaching financial literacy in high school.
The Ohio Chamber of Commerce tweeted, “We believe strongly in the value of having adequate financial literacy. As is said by the bill sponsors, being financially literate is the best form of consumer protection. Thank you to the Ohio Senate for making this such a priority!”
We believe strongly in the value of having adequate financial literacy. As is said by the bill sponsors, being financially literate is the best form of consumer protection. Thank you to the Ohio Senate for making this such a priority! @Rob_McColley @SteveWilsonOH https://t.co/mSZyKDdCka
The Ohio Bankers League chimed in: “We couldn’t agree more! Financial literacy has never been more important for Ohio’s students. Thank you to the bill sponsors and the Ohio Senate!”
We couldn’t agree more! Financial literacy has never been more important for Ohio’s students. Thank you to the bill sponsors and the Ohio Senate!
There was only one problem.
Under new Senate President Matt Huffman, the low-numbered bills bear no relationship to the chamber’s priorities in the coming two-year session.
The Lima Republican thinks rolling out the traditional priority list puts too much attention on those proposals and not enough on measures that might be just as important, said spokesman John Fortney.
drowland@dispatch.com
@darreldrowland
