Insights | Meridian Research Group | Page 3

Stimulus Checks

President Trump posted yesterday that a “dividend” of $2k will be provided to individuals (not including “high income people”). He implied this would be financed via tariff revenue. Secretary Bessent said that he has not spoken to Trump about the idea and that tariff revenue is being used to reduce the deficit. Legislation must be enacted in...

Healthcare, Macro

Government Shutdown, ACA

The Senate last night passed a procedural motion 60-to-40 that will allow for a vote in the coming days on legislation to end the government shutdown. The motion passed with the support of eight Democratic Senators. The legislation includes a “continuing resolution (CR)” to fund the government through 1/30/26, three full-year FY26 appropriations...

340B Drug Discount Program

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) announced it has approved eight drugmakers for participation in the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program. The model – which will start January 1, 2026, and run for at least a year – will allow drugmakers to provide 340B-discounted drug prices using a rebate...

Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Reimbursement

CMS has issued the CY26 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule. Under the rule, CMS will implement two separate conversion factors (CFs). For Alternative Payment Model (APM) participants, the aggregate CF is set at $33.57, a 3.77% increase ($1.27) from the CY25 CF of $32.35. For non-qualifying participants (non-QPs), the aggregate proposed CF...

Drug Pricing (Medicaid/MFN)

CMS’s Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has announced a new voluntary drug pricing model called GENEROUS (GENErating cost Reductions fOr U.S. Medicaid). Under the model, manufacturers will provide supplemental prescription drug rebates to participating states to align Medicaid net prices with what certain other countries pay (i.e.,...

Drug Pricing/Coverage (GLP-1s)

The White House has secured drug pricing commitments from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. Like the commitments from other drugmakers (i.e., Pfizer, Merck), Lilly and Novo have agreed to guarantee most-favored nation (MFN) prices on all new medicines and provide state Medicaid programs access to MFN drug prices. However, the two companies have made...