Trending News Today: Governors Push Lawmakers to Craft Bipartisan Healthcare Reform Bill

Bipartisan governors are urging GOP lawmakers to slow down their current plans for healthcare reform. Despite understanding that improvements are necessary, the governors believe that a bipartisan approach to healthcare reform may lead to lasting legislation, according to the Huffington Post. Thus far, Republicans have crafted the American Health Care Act without input from Democrats, which proved successful in the House, but the governors argue against this approach.

Gov Brian Sandoval (R-NV) recently vetoed a bill that would have offered state-sponsored health insurance for all residents without an income threshold. If the bill were to pass, Nevada would be the first state to attempt a Medicaid-for-all approach in an effort to increase options for residents, the Los Angeles Times reported. While Sandoval stated that the bill had merit, there were too many questions about the approach for the legislation to be passed at this time.

On Friday, senior Trump administrative officials met to discuss the cost of prescription drugs, which was informed by the president’s “Drug Pricing and Innovation Working Group,” according to Kaiser Health News. The group debated extending the monopoly rights of American manufacturers selling products in other countries, stopping discounts for certain hospitals, and speeding FDA approvals. While the group also discussed the benefits of value-based pricing, it is unclear who would evaluate the efficacy of prescription drugs, what criteria would be used, and who would receive the rebate, according to the article.