In January 2023, former President Donald Trump announced a bold initiative to slash Medicaid prescription drug costs, promising to negotiate prices directly with manufacturers. One year later, a joint report by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Government Accountability Office finds that average Medicaid drug prices have fallen by only 2.3 percent, far short of the 30 percent reduction Trump vowed. While a handful of high‑cost specialty drugs saw modest discounts, most generic and brand‑name medications remain priced similarly to pre‑pledge levels. Health policy experts cite legislative gridlock and pharmaceutical lobbying as key barriers to achieving the promised savings.
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