New Delhi: Donald Trump’s return to the White House has created uncertainty over the U.S. pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. As Trump most likely to implement major policy changes that could affect millions.
According to data and analytics firm GlobalData, Trump’s interest in reshaping the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and his reported plan to appoint anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to a prominent healthcare role raise concerns around public health funding, vaccine policies, and healthcare coverage.
Cyrus Fan, a Research Analyst at GlobalData, notes, “During his first term, Trump attempted but failed to repeal the ACA but may consider revisiting it.
Trump’s potential appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to a healthcare position has raised more concerns. He is Known for his anti-vaccine stance and vocal criticism of the drug industry and the FDA, Kennedy’s influence could alter key health agencies such as the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fan comments, “Appointing RFK as health secretary may have damaging implications for U.S. healthcare. Given his anti-vaccine rhetoric and negative comments toward the FDA, it raises questions about the future of U.S. drug approvals and the FDA’s regulatory power. Dismantling the CDC and other health agencies could jeopardize U.S. public health and slow down progress made under the Biden Administration, including addressing the opioid epidemic and the Cancer Moonshot program.”While Trump has previously made pledges to lower drug prices, he has placed less emphasis on this issue during his 2024 campaign. He appears to have set aside his earlier proposal to reduce drug costs through international reference pricing, although he has expressed interest in amending the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Trump’s stance on the IRA stops short of proposing a complete repeal, though he may consider targeting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), an area of focus for Republican lawmakers in recent months.
“Many Americans may fear that their healthcare coverage through the ACA or Medicaid could be at risk. For the pharmaceutical industry, Trump appears less focused on imposing reforms this term, although he has expressed an interest in introducing drug cost-reduction measures—albeit less aggressively than the proposals by Democratic nominee Kamala Harris,” Fan concludes.
