May 20, 2025
May 12, 2025 – In a move to lower prescription drug costs for Americans, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) directing federal agencies to align U.S. drug prices with those paid by other nations. According to a White House fact sheet, Americans currently pay more than three times what other countries do for brand-name medications.
This marks Trump’s second major drug pricing EO in recent months. In April, he signed another order targeting high pharmaceutical costs through Medicare reforms and industry regulations. However, experts caution that these changes may take time to implement, meaning immediate relief for consumers is unlikely.
Key Provisions of the Executive Order
The latest EO outlines several aggressive measures to reduce drug prices, including:
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May 1, 2025
In a major shake-up to the health insurance landscape, CVS Health announced it will exit the individual health insurance market—commonly known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare”—starting in 2026. This decision directly impacts around 1 million people currently enrolled in Aetna ACA plans across 17 states.
The news broke alongside CVS’s first-quarter earnings report, which showed a hefty $1.8 billion in net income. While this sounds like a financial win, the company is in the middle of a strategic pivot, especially when it comes to controlling rising healthcare costs in its Aetna insurance business.
So why the exit? According to CVS, it’s part of a broader plan to “refocus the company’s portfolio.” In simple terms, they’re pulling back from areas where they’re less competitive—in this case, the ACA exchanges—to double down on other parts of the business where they believe they can offer stronger care and more stability.
Here’s what CVS had to say:
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