Trump Admin Announces Medicare Price Cuts For 15 Drugs

Is this bold leadership delivering massive savings for seniors, or a rushed publicity stunt with worse deals than existing agreements?

Published 9 hours ago·Updated 8 hours ago

Trump Admin Announces Medicare Price Cuts For 15 Drugs

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Above: U.S. President Donald Trump and Mehmet Oz in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 16, 2025. Image credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Republican narrative

Trump's Medicare drug negotiations have delivered $12 billion in savings, driven by bold leadership that crushed Big Pharma's price gouging. The administration achieved 44% price cuts compared to Biden's weak 22% reductions last year. Real results like Ozempic dropping to $274 monthly prove Trump's team works to improve America's health care system and fights harder for seniors than previous failed efforts.

The Epoch Times

Democratic narrative

Trump's drug price announcement was a rushed publicity stunt that actually delivered worse deals than existing agreements. He quietly released the results at 6 p.m., without press events, and hid that negotiated prices were higher than the voluntary deals already secured. Medicare beneficiaries were shortchanged by $276 for Ozempic, compared to the $245 price already available. These negotiated prices are designed to avoid attention.

STAT

Establishment-critical narrative

Government price-setting policies risk undermining the engine of medical innovation. Even a modest reduction in expected U.S. revenues can prompt companies to pare back research and development. The consequence is stark: Breakthroughs for chronic diseases or novel cancers may be delayed or abandoned because firms no longer see sufficient return on investment to justify costly, high-risk development — trading tomorrow’s cures for today’s savings.

USC Schaeffer