Across the United States, several emerging policies are putting both medical innovation and patient access to lifesaving drugs at risk.
Although these measures are often promoted as efforts to reduce healthcare costs and assert greater national control, they could end up limiting access to new treatments and slowing scienitific progress. Patients have strong reasons to be concerned about the long-term consequences.
One major concern is a recent executive order by President Donald Trump that ties Medicaid's drug prices to those of "most favored nations," effectively capping U.S. prices at levels paid by countries with government-imposed price controls.
Though it may sound like a cost-saving measure, this could destabilize the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. With diminished revenue, companies may reduce investment in research and development, leaving future patients without access to next-generation cures.
Another issue involves changes in leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The appointment of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a history of promoting discredited claims about vaccines and pharmaceuticals, casts doubt on whether these institutions will continue to support evidence-based science and medical innovation. Weakening that commitment could stall progress in critical areas of healthcare.
The newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk until May 28, has also triggered unintended disruption. The departure of 3,500 FDA staffers has created widespread confusion within the agency.
While streamlining government is a legitimate goal, this level of downsizing has already made it harder for biotech companies to identify points of contact for clinical trials. As a result, some firms may stop prioritizing the U.S. for drug development, depriving American patients of early access to potentially lifesaving treatments available through clinical trials.
Delays in drug approvals are becoming more likely due to staffing shortages and operational confusion. This is especially devastating for people suffering from diseases with no current cure, for whom time is not a luxury.
Every delay in drug development could translate to lost lives.
Adding to the list of concerns, the U.S. Department of Commerce has initiated a probe into imposing tariffs on drugs and their active ingredients. While the goal is to encourage domestic manufacturing, the near-term result would likely be higher drug costs for patients.
For a nation already spending nearly 20% of its gross domestic product on healthcare, such a move could further strain affordability and access.
Collectively, these policy shifts — price caps tied to foreign benchmarks, uncertain agency leadership, regulatory disruption, and potential trade barriers — do not solve the structural problems of the healthcare system. Instead, they threaten to compound them, particularly for patients relying on innovation for future treatment options.
Rather than constraining the system, the Trump administration should pursue bold but smart reforms. These could include allowing reciprocal drug approvals from trusted international agencies like those in Europe and Japan, eliminating tariffs and non-tariff barriers on pharmaceuticals, and doubling down on support for science-based policy.
Countless diseases remain without cures. Curtailing innovation in the name of short-term savings could become a death sentence for patients waiting for breakthroughs.
The path to better, more affordable care lies not in stifling discovery, but in embracing it.
Bill Wirtz is the senior policy analyst at the Consumer Choice Center, focusing on new technology, agriculture, trade and lifestyle regulations. He recently published "No Copy-paste: What Not to Emulate from Europe's Agriculture Regulations." Read Bill Wirtz's Reports — More Here.
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