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A top Trump administration health official on Thursday indicated that the administration is pushing forward with a controversial proposal to lower drug prices, despite opposition from some fellow Republicans. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma told reporters that the proposal to lower certain drug prices in Medicare by tying them to lower prices in other countries, known as the International Price Index, is a “top priority.” (Sullivan, 8/15)

As Democrats push to let Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices with manufacturers in hopes of lower prices, details of how that system would operate in tandem with private Part D plans are far from settled. The issue is gaining steam as the 2020 elections approach, with the party trying to locate middle ground between its progressive faction and the more moderate majority. (Clason, 8/16)

Workers at a Phoenix pharmacy on Thursday told Sen. Martha McSally that patients routinely leave without their medication because they can't afford it. The reason is cost — high insurance co-pays, insurance denials, and the high price of the drugs themselves. (Innes, 8/15)

The hashtag "CVSDeniesCare" began trending on Twitter on Thursday over reports that reimbursement changes for mail-order services could threaten women's access to birth control. The phrase was trending nationally with more than 37,000 tweets after it was reported that CVS Caremark will be cutting reimbursement rates for customers who get birth control delivered straight to their doors. (Gstalter, 8/15)