President Trump released The-Great-Healthcare-Plan in January 2026. The plan was summarized on one page and illustrated the White House’s plans to restrain medical spending and increase access to care. Among the topics were lower drug prices, lower insurance premiums, holding big insurance companies accountable and maximizing price transparency. One subtopic stood out, and it is probably the one policy wonks will pay the least attention to. Yet it arguably has the most power to help achieve Trump’s goals of boosting access to care while holding costs down.
Friday Links
- Some doctors are prescribing magic mushrooms. (NYT)
- Medication abortions account for about two-thirds of all abortions in the United States.
- FDA: Weight loss drugs don’t increase the risk of suicidal thoughts.
- Health care spending hit $5.3 trillion in 2024. That’s $15,900 per person.
- Trump rule on marketplace insurance that all Senate Democrats oppose.
Pharmacists Can Do More Than Count Pills; They Can Treat Disease
Have you ever talked to your pharmacist about a treatment, a drug side effect, or a cheaper alternative drug? Pharmacists can do a whole lot more than count pills. There is an old saying that pharmacists are the most overeducated, underutilized health care professionals. They know far more about drugs and pharmacology than your doctor.
Thursday Links
- Retirees are getting a lot more in the benefits from Social Security and Medicare than they paid in taxes. In the future the difference will get progressively worse.
- Seniors have the most wealth and the least deprivation of any population group.
- California has the highest hospital costs per patient per day in the country.
- “Mean grade inflation reduces future test scores, reduces the likelihood of graduating from high school, reduces college enrollment, and ultimately reduces earnings.”
- Study: people with irregular sleep patterns are 50% more likely to develop dementia.