Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl

President Joe Biden pledged Monday that his social agenda legislation would deliver tangible savings on prescription drugs for all Americans. Relief that consumers have clamored for is now in sight, he asserted. But first the bill has to pass Congress, where plenty of obstacles remain in its path. Biden tried to shift the focus to pocketbook provisions overlooked in the political machinations over his $2 trillion legislation, which deals with issues from climate to family life and taxes. Even before concerns over rising inflation, polls consistently showed support from Americans across the political spectrum for government action to lower drug costs. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/6)

Biden called prescription drugs "outrageously expensive in this country," saying, "It doesn't need to be that way." "To really solve this problem, we need the Senate to follow the House of Representatives' lead and pass my Build Back Better bill," he said. Lowering drug prices is one of the most popular parts of Biden's sweeping climate and social spending measure, and Democrats are looking to tout the changes and hammer Republicans for opposing them. (Sullivan, 12/6)

President Biden promised Monday that Democrats’ signature drug pricing plan will mean no insured American will spend more than $35 per month for insulin. Drug pricing advocates say that’s not good enough — they’re pushing for last-minute changes to expand those reforms to the uninsured. Democrats’ drug pricing reforms, which are included in the larger spending package known as the Build Back Better Act, would cap how much those with insurance can pay out of pocket each month for insulin at $35. The provision currently applies to those covered by both Medicare and private insurance, but it does not change how much those without insurance will pay for their insulin. (Florko, 12/6)

Vulnerable Democrats are urging President Biden and congressional leaders to act quickly to prevent the Medicare cuts that will take effect on the first day of the new year. Congress has little time to act before the Medicare reimbursement cuts kick in on Jan. 1, 2022, and there’s currently no vehicle on the table to push the legislation through. (Mucha, 12/6)

When asked Monday about whether his sweeping social spending and climate agenda -- the Build Back Better Act -- can pass the Senate before Christmas as he and congressional leaders want, President Joe Biden responded, "As early as we can get it. We want to get it done no matter how long it takes." And that answer suggests it could be yet another deadline missed. (Donaldson, 12/7)

The White House is praying for a quiet December, aiming to avoid the usual political histrionics that come at the end of the year as they push the second piece of President Joe Biden’s landmark economic agenda. Internally, White House officials are optimistic about getting the social spending plan done and, perhaps, of avoiding high-pitched fights. The successful extension of government funding this past week — despite brief threats by some Republicans to force a shutdown over vaccine mandates — has only boosted their hopes. (Barron-Lopez, 12/6)

American businesses spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on prescription drugs, and the bills keep getting bigger. But some of the companies promising to help rein in those costs prevent employers from looking under the hood. Documents provided to Axios reveal a new layer of secrecy within the maze of American drug pricing — one in which firms that manage drug coverage for hundreds of employers, representing millions of workers, obscure the details of their work and make it difficult to figure out whether they're actually providing a good deal. (Herman, 12/6)