Ameet Sarpatwari | Lightnews

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · 1d

"(It probably will be worse…)"

Jason L. Schwartz @jasonlschwartz.bsky.social · 1d

From today’s Politico Pulse. He’s talking about downgrading more (most? all?) CDC/ACIP vaccine recommendations from ‘routine’ to ‘shared decision-making’. Almost certainly starting with the Hep B birth dose next month and expanding from there.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: ICE has finally released post-shutdown detention data. The latest data reveals that a full 40%(!) of people arrested in the interior and held in ICE detention have no criminal record; no criminal charges or prior convictions. That is up from just 4% when Trump took office.

Chart showing detention population, among those arrested in the interior, by criminal record, May 2019 through present.

There are three lines shown. (1) Prior conviction (which rises from around 9,000 in January 2025 to just over 16,000 in November 2025), (2) Pending criminal charges (which rises from around 5,000 to 15,000), and (3) No criminal record (which rises from around 1,000 to 21,000).

Jason L. Schwartz @jasonlschwartz.bsky.social · 1d

From today’s Politico Pulse. He’s talking about downgrading more (most? all?) CDC/ACIP vaccine recommendations from ‘routine’ to ‘shared decision-making’. Almost certainly starting with the Hep B birth dose next month and expanding from there.

Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 3d

RFK Jr had committed to Bill Cassidy, as a condition to win his vote, that he would keep website language.

Cassidy in February: “If confirmed… CDC will not remove statements on their website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism.”

Note the language in second photo.

Larry Levitt @larrylevitt.bsky.social · 11d

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.

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · 16d

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

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

www.nytimes.com

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · 16d

Some good questions to consider as this announcement is made.

Rachel Sachs @rachelsachs.bsky.social · 16d

Drug pricing law/policy experts have many questions going into this announcement. For those watching, here are just a few important ones. 1. What's the form of the "deal"? Is it a model through CMMI (as suggested in @ddiamond.bsky.social's reporting)? How enforceable is the deal (and by whom)? 1/6

Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 16d

Trump has long been fixated on the "fat pill," the "fat drug," the "fat shot," the "fat killer" — you get the idea.

(He's also questioned if the drugs work.)

Today Trump will announce a deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in the Oval Office to lower the price of some of their drugs. More to come.

Rachel Sachs @rachelsachs.bsky.social · 16d

Drug pricing law/policy experts have many questions going into this announcement. For those watching, here are just a few important ones. 1. What's the form of the "deal"? Is it a model through CMMI (as suggested in @ddiamond.bsky.social's reporting)? How enforceable is the deal (and by whom)? 1/6

Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 16d

Trump has long been fixated on the "fat pill," the "fat drug," the "fat shot," the "fat killer" — you get the idea.

(He's also questioned if the drugs work.)

Today Trump will announce a deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in the Oval Office to lower the price of some of their drugs. More to come.

Trump, long fixated on ‘fat drug,’ to announce deal to lower its price

The president has cited the high cost of GLP-1 drugs, which help with weight loss, as his go-to example in his push to reduce U.S. drug prices.

www.washingtonpost.com

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · 20d

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....

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.

www.statnews.com

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · 20d

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

Holly Fernandez Lynch @hollylynchez.bsky.social · 20d

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...

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.

www.statnews.com

xpostfactoid @xpostfactoid.bsky.social · 24d

Republicans stripped marketplace eligibility for green card holders time-barred from Medicaid with income below the poverty line.

This family needs income of $32,150 to qualify for marketplace coverage.

Ben D’Avanzo @bendavanzo.bsky.social · 24d

Here's another scenario:

Two parents: both 35 years old
Two kids: 3 year old twins
All are green card holders who moved to the U.S. four years ago, thus ineligible for Medicaid

Income: $30k
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Plan: Oscar Silver Classic Standard

2025 Monthly Premium: $0
2026 Premium: $1,446.47

Charles GetCovered-ba ✡️ @charlesgaba.com · 24d

📣 GOOD NEWS: HealthCare.Gov window shopping is LIVE!

BAD NEWS: HealthCare.Gov window shopping is live.

acasignups.net/25/10/29/goo...

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · 24d

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.

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · 24d

@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/...

The Obesity-Drug Revolution Is Stalling

Somehow, it’s becoming even harder to get a GLP-1.

www.theatlantic.com

MA Health Policy Commission @masshpc.bsky.social · 25d

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

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

Stacie Dusetzina @dusetzinas.bsky.social · Oct 22

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...

Information session flyer with QR code for registering!

Holly Fernandez Lynch @hollylynchez.bsky.social · Oct 20

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

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.

www.statnews.com

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · Oct 20

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

Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · Oct 20

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...

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

www.nytimes.com

Shefali Luthra @shefali.bsky.social · Oct 16

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

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.

19thnews.org

Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak @alikodjak.bsky.social · Oct 16

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...

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...

www.propublica.org

Stacie Dusetzina @dusetzinas.bsky.social · Oct 3

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.

Trump administration delays effort to address Medicare drug price negotiation loophole

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

www.statnews.com

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · Sep 30

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.

www.npr.org

Meg Tirrell @megtirrell.bsky.social · Sep 30

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?”

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

Ameet Sarpatwari @asarpatwari.bsky.social · Sep 30

Amen.

Stacie Dusetzina @dusetzinas.bsky.social · Sep 30

I'm starting to think these big press releases are just meant as a distraction from everything else going on. Direct sales of branded drugs is a solution for a tiny number of people. Also noting that the devil is in the details on which drugs Pfizer chooses and how much the NET prices decrease.

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · Sep 30

NEWS

The White House is planning to unveil a direct-to-consumer website for Americans to buy drugs, dubbed TrumpRX, as well as announce that Pfizer plans to lower prices on several of its medications in the U.S.

Full Story: on.wsj.com/4q2H6Jc

Stacie Dusetzina @dusetzinas.bsky.social · Sep 30

I'm starting to think these big press releases are just meant as a distraction from everything else going on. Direct sales of branded drugs is a solution for a tiny number of people. Also noting that the devil is in the details on which drugs Pfizer chooses and how much the NET prices decrease.

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · Sep 30

NEWS

The White House is planning to unveil a direct-to-consumer website for Americans to buy drugs, dubbed TrumpRX, as well as announce that Pfizer plans to lower prices on several of its medications in the U.S.

Full Story: on.wsj.com/4q2H6Jc

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · Sep 29

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.

Rachel Sachs @rachelsachs.bsky.social · Sep 29

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...

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...

www.kff.org

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