-
FEATURED CONTENT
President Donald Trump on Monday issued a slew of executive orders, a number of which have potential healthcare implications. Here's what you need to know.
Drug pricing
Trump rescinded an executive order issued by former President Joe Biden that had prompted the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to develop three drug pricing experiments.
The first experiment aimed to help state Medicaid programs pay for cell and gene therapies that are effective but expensive by creating multi-state purchasing agreements. These agreements would allow states to not pay for the drugs if they weren't effective. CMMI had started the enrollment process of the pilot program, and the application is supposed to be open through Feb. 28.
The second experiment would have tested Medicare paying less for drugs that received accelerated approvals from FDA. In theory, the reduced payments from Medicare would have incentivized drugmakers to finished studying their drugs through confirmatory trials, STAT reports.
The final experiment was designed to encourage Medicare prescription drug plans to provide generic drugs for common chronic conditions for a $2 copay, with the goal of standardizing copays for generic drugs and encouraging patients to continue taking their medications.
Gender and sex discrimination
Trump issued an executive order saying the federal government would only recognize two sexes, male and female. "'Sex' is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of gender identity," the order states. As a result, only male and female will be recognized for official documents like passports and visas.
Trump also rescinded a 2022 policy against discriminating against people on the basis of sexual or gender identity that specifically ordered support for LGBTQ+ students and instructed officials to end any programs promoting conversion therapy domestically and internationally. Trump also rescinded previous executive orders promoting protections on the basis of sex and gender identity in schools.
Experts say Trump's order could have implications for gender-affirming care and the recognition of trans people in a number of spaces.
Withdrawal from the World Health Organization
Another executive order signed by Trump on Monday will withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to Trump, WHO mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and has failed to act independently from the "inappropriate political influence of WHO member states." It also required "unfairly onerous payments" from the United States that were disproportionate to the amounts received by other large countries.
"World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States," Trump said at the signing of the order. "It's not going to happen anymore."
Advisory Board's policy-related resources
- The elections are over. What's next?
- Get early access to our 2025 executive briefing
- 4 strategic pivots for 2025 (and beyond)
- Radio Advisory: Big deal, little deal, or no deal? A 2024 health policy retrospective
- The state of the industry: What healthcare leaders need to know for 2025 (on-demand recording)
- Will Trump's healthcare appointments bring 'radical changes'?
The order will set a 12-month notice period for the United States to leave WHO and cease all financial contributions to its work. Currently, the United States is WHO's largest financial backer, contributing around 18% of its overall funding.
WHO said it regrets the move from the United States.
"We hope that the United States will reconsider, and we really hope that there will be constructive dialogue for the benefit of everyone, for Americans but also for people around the world," said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarević.
Other healthcare-related orders
Trump also rescinded Biden's executive order that allowed for longer enrollment periods for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans in most states and provided extra funding for the third parties that help people enroll in ACA plans.
In addition, Trump revoked several Biden policies that aimed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare the United States for any future infectious disease outbreaks. These orders aimed to bolster COVID-19 testing, increase research into treatments, provide economic relief, and improve cooperation with other countries in the event of another pandemic.
Trump also issued an executive order that would prevent all new federal rules from going into effect until "a department or agency head appointed or designated by the President after noon on January 20, 2025, reviews and approves the rule."
Don't miss out on the latest Advisory Board insights
Create your free account to access 1 resource, including the latest research and webinars.
Want access without creating an account?
You have 1 free members-only resource remaining this month.
1 free members-only resources remaining
1 free members-only resources remaining
You've reached your limit of free insights
Become a member to access all of Advisory Board's resources, events, and experts
Never miss out on the latest innovative health care content tailored to you.
Benefits include:
You've reached your limit of free insights
