There is some good news for people with Medicare and Americans writ large! President-elect Joe Biden has named California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, to head the US Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra is a vocal advocate of Medicare for All and a politically savvy former member of Congress.
Joe Biden could not have picked a better candidate than Xavier Becerra to serve as Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra is not a physician, but he has tremendous expertise in health care policy and the politics of health care. Before becoming Attorney General for California, Becerra served for 24 years in the US House of Representatives. And, as California Attorney General, he has led the charge to defend the legality of the Affordable Care Act.
In the role of HHS Secretary, Becerra would help set the direction of our nation’s health care policy. Of course, Becerra would have to answer to the President. And, any major reforms would need to come from Congress.
Becerra could and should put an end to many of the Trump administration’s health care policies, including a move afoot to privatize traditional Medicare. He could also implement rules that brought down prescription drug prices, at least for people in Medicare and Medicaid.
David Sirota reports in the Daily Poster that Becerra supported government action to end patents on some high-priced drugs through the exercise of “march-in rights.” Under the law, when the federal government has invested in research and development for medicines that are not reasonably priced, it can march in, pay the manufacturer a royalty, and issue licenses to other manufacturers to produce the drugs at a lower cost.
As California’s attorney general, Becerra advocated for the Trump administration to exercise march-in rights to bring down the cost of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID. The federal government paid for much of its research and development.
President Obama refused to exercise march-in rights. And, it is not at all clear that President-elect Biden will be willing to exercise them either. But, with millions of Americans unable to pay for their medicines and drug prices through the roof, pressure is mounting on the government to step in.
Becerra also has supported importation of prescription drugs from abroad. While that would be a band-aid measure, it is an important one that would help reset the price of prescription drugs in this country on a par with other countries. As Secretary of HHS, Becerra could make it a lot easier for states and other agencies to import drugs from abroad.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Drug prices: It’s time for the federal government to step in
- COVID: Treatment costs for people with Medicare
- States charge 26 drugmakers with illegally driving up the price of generic drugs
- Coronavirus: Medicare covers hospital care at home
- Coronavirus: Doctors and nurses reconsider their professions
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