Trump drug prices: Capitol Hill staffers mull options behind-the-scenes

WASHINGTON — Congress is again discussing the Trump administration’s plan to force drug companies to lower their U.S. prices, at least behind the scenes.

Congressional staffers and health policy experts from major think tanks held a closed-door meeting to discuss policy options that would peg U.S. prices for drugs to what other countries pay, called most-favored nation pricing. The discussions are the latest example of growing interest among Republicans in more aggressive measures to lower drug prices, including the most-favored nation plan that has been a top priority for President Trump.

Most of the staffers present were from Republican offices, according to Richard Frank, a panelist at the event who works at the left-leaning Brookings Institution. And the leader of the Senate health panel, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), has circulated proposed legislation for an MFN policy.