The Trump administration has unveiled 15 new drugs selected for a Medicare drug price negotiation program that allows the federal government to haggle directly with drug manufacturers. The drugs announced Tuesday include treatments for Type 2 diabetes, HIV, arthritis and various other conditions. The neurotoxin Botox, which is often used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, will also be part of negotiations, but only for medical uses covered by Medicare. The announcement signals the start of a third round of negotiations under a 2022 law that has already resulted in lower prices for 25 drugs. Because the program targets some of the drugs on which Medicare spends the most money, it has the potential to deliver significant savings to taxpayers.
