The FDA under Trump has consistently maintained its stated goal of removing bureaucratic obstacles to drug approval. FDA commissioner, Marty Makary, announced steps to speed the approval of new drugs, including allowing one well-designed clinical trial rather than two or more trials to show efficacy. Yet, drug companies continue to claim inconsistent guidelines, endpoints changed and a skeptical agency when it comes to rare disease therapies. Recently drugmakers have complained the FDA moved the goalposts, after agreeing to them.
Author: Devon Herrick
Donor Organs are Scarce Only Because there is No Free Market for Organ Donations
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, there were more than 48,000 transplants in 2024 compared to around 108,000 on transplant waiting lists. The demand for organs far exceeds the supply. The reason organs are scarce is because living people and their family members have little reason to donate knowing there is little in it for them. It seems the only party involved in the organ transplant industry who does not profit from the process is the donor.
Why Insurers Do Not Negotiate Aggressively to Hold Medical Prices Down
The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Health News reports that patients often are aghast at the prices of services and wonder why their insurers agreed to pay that much. Me too! I have told the story a million times about my wife almost scheduling a CT scan at a hospital near our home. The hospital had to seek prior authorization for the ($3,000+) diagnostic procedure. A day later the hospital called to say it was approved and her share of the cost would be $2,700. When would she like to schedule? My wife told me the story and within 10 minutes I found a facility with a BlueCross rate of $403.
Insurers Push Back Against Drug Copay Cards That Lower Patient Cost Sharing
People in government programs (Medicare and Medicaid) are not allowed to use drug copay cards precisely for the reason drugmakers offer them: drug copay cards are a financial inducement to spend the government’s money.