The Trump administration says pharmaceutical companies have agreed to slash the Medicare prices for 15 prescription drugs after months of negotiations and that it's expected to produce billions in savings for older adults. But the net prices unveiled Tuesday aren't what Medicare recipients will pay at their pharmacy counters because those final amounts will depend on each individual's plan and how much they spend annually on prescriptions. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touted the deals as part of efforts to address affordability concerns. The negotiation program is mandated by law and began under the Biden administration.

Higher prices, less help and a government shutdown hang over health insurance markets as shoppers start looking for coverage this week. The annual enrollment window for millions of people to pick an individual plan opens Saturday. The federal government shut down this month as Democrats in Congress demanded negotiations to extend enhanced tax credits that have helped people buy coverage the past few years. Republicans say they won't negotiate until Democrats vote to reopen the government. Stuck in the middle are insurance shoppers, many of whom will be facing the biggest premium hikes they've seen in years.

Drugmaker Pfizer has agreed to lower drug costs under a deal struck with President Donald Trump's administration. Trump made the announcement Tuesday with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla at the White House. Under the agreement, New York-based Pfizer will charge most-favored-nation pricing to Medicaid and guarantee the same pricing on newly launched drugs. That involves matching the lowest price offered in other developed nations. The agreement by Pfizfer builds on an executive order Trump signed in May setting a deadline for drugmakers to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay.

The Trump administration is investigating Medicaid spending in at least six Democratic-led states that provide comprehensive health coverage to poor and disabled immigrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal status. Public records obtained by KFF Health News and The Associated Press show the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is looking for waste, fraud or abuse. The federal letters to state health agencies in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington say CMS is reviewing federal and state payments for services like prescription drugs and specialty care. California is the biggest target after the state self-reported overcharging the government more than $500 million, spurring the threat of a lawsuit.