Former Gov. Phil Bredesen wants to take a page from Donald Trump’s playbook to cut the cost of health care in America.
Bredesen, the Democratic candidate vying to succeed the retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., wants the federal government to use the “most favored status” used in foreign trade and often in business deals like what Trump negotiated in the past to avoid having others get better prices on medicines.
Although the U.S. government through Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration buys more drugs than any entity in the world, the federal government pays, on average, about 80 percent more than do consumers in other countries for prescription drugs. Bredesen, sounding a bit like Trump as the author of the “Art of the Deal,” thinks the U.S. government should negotiate a better deal with the drug companies.
Bredesen has been traveling across the state this week to tout his plan to ensure that the U.S. gets the same price as drug buyers anywhere in the North America or Europe. On Thursday, Bredesen touted the advantage of the idea to a couple dozen Chattanoogans gathered over coffee at Niedlov’s Breadworks on the Southside where Bredesen said health care is emerging as the top issue in this year’s campaign.
Bredesen’s idea to cut medicine costs is similar to what President Trump unveiled Thursday in a plan that would gradually shift Medicare payments for drugs administered in doctors’ offices to a level based on international prices. Prices in other countries are lower because governments directly negotiate with manufacturers.