Insights | Meridian Research Group | Page 9

Medtech/Tariffs

The Commerce Department launched a Sec. 232 tariff investigation into personal protective equipment (PPE), medical consumables and medical equipment, including devices. The Commerce Department will collect comments on the probe until 10/17 and are seeking input on the demand for such items now and in the future, the extent to which domestic...

Medicare Advantage

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has ruled in favor of Humana in its lawsuit challenging CMS's MA Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) rule (which checks the accuracy of the diagnosis codes submitted by MA plans to recoup overpayments).

Drug Pricing (Most Favored Nation, Tariffs)

During a White House event this week, Pfizer announced it would provide Most Favored Nation (MFN) pricing (matching the lowest prices in other developed countries) for its drugs in the Medicaid program (scope of products unspecified), apply MFN pricing on a go-forward basis on all “new innovative medicines” Pfizer brings to market (payer focus...

Tech / Media / Telecom

Export Controls/China/Semiconductors

The Commerce Department issued a rule that would add to its entity list (blacklist) any subsidiaries that are at least 50% owned by a company already on the entity list. Firms on the entity list are not allowed to contract with U.S. firms unless the Commerce Department grants the U.S. firm a license to do so. The entity list expansion is not...

Healthcare, Macro

Fiscal Year 2026 Funding/Government Shutdown, ACA

Yesterday’s meeting between President Trump and Congressional leaders yielded no progress towards resolution of FY26 government funding. In fact, both sides emerged from the meeting echoing their partisan messages with no indication they intend to soften their current positions (i.e., Democrats demanding that an extension of enhanced ACA...

Fed Personnel/Litigation

The various lawsuits challenging President Trump’s ability to fire members of independent boards are moving to a more advanced stage. Most notably, last week the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) agreed to take up the case of Rebecca Slaughter, a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), whom Trump attempted to fire in March. Separately, Trump has filed...