What the Bipartisan Budget Agreement Means for the Healthcare Industry and Life Sciences Companies
View Debevoise In Depth
Key takeaways:
- On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed a bill that will significantly impact the healthcare industry and life sciences companies, by, among other things, repealing certain taxes imposed by the Affordable Care Act; requiring innovator pharmaceutical companies to make samples of their drugs available to “eligible product developers” who request them; adding “chemically synthesized polypeptides” to the FDA-regulated category of “biologics”; and providing additional funding for cancer and Alzheimer’s research.
- There has recently been speculation that Congress would also reach consensus on two controversial topics: (i) drug pricing; and (ii) “surprise billing” (a term used by some to describe situations in which a patient is billed by an out-of-network provider). However, the bill signed by President Trump does not address either topic.