MAHA Influencer To Surgeon General, Most Favored Nation Scares Pharma Industry, Insurers Prepare For Drug Tariffs

Hey all,

Happy thursday! Today’s rundown is all about the federal government and its affect on healthcare. There’s been a lot of activity in Washington, hopefully it leads to meaningful action without negative externalities like the ACA. Enjoy the rundown!

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroRX)

(STAT News) President Trump Picks MAHA Influencer Casey Means for Surgeon General

President Trump has selected Dr. Casey Means — a Stanford-trained physician, health tech entrepreneur, and leading voice in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement — as his new nominee for U.S. surgeon general, emphasizing her holistic health advocacy and criticism of Big Pharma and conventional medicine. Means, co-founder of Levels and author of the bestseller Good Energy, could shift federal health policy toward root-cause, lifestyle-focused approaches if confirmed, though her skepticism of mainstream practices like childhood vaccinations and IVF is likely to spark controversy. Full Article.

(Endpoints News) President Trump’s ‘Most Favored Nation’ Drug Pricing Policy Shocks Pharma Industry

President Trump’s sudden endorsement of a “most favored nation” drug pricing policy blindsided pharmaceutical executives who had been cultivating close ties with the White House through U.S. manufacturing investments. This policy, which ties Medicaid drug prices to those in lower-cost foreign countries, threatens massive financial losses for drugmakers due to potential ripple effects into the 340B program, prompting an industry-wide emergency lobbying campaign to block it. Full Article

(Modern Healthcare) Insurers' Responses to Drug Tariffs

Health insurers are closely monitoring the potential impact of pharmaceutical tariffs, with companies like CVS Health and Centene proactively accounting for possible cost increases in future government program bids. Although initial protections through contracts and regulations may shield insurers in the short term, sustained tariffs could disrupt supply chains, raise drug costs, and eventually pressure insurance premiums and formularies — with commercial insurers like Cigna likely more exposed than their government-focused peers. Full Article