Hospital pricing fight heats up as drugmakers and insurers target care providers

Drugmakers and insurers have stepped up campaigns to blame hospitals for high U.S. health-care costs, aiming to curb the 340B drug-discount program and push site-neutral policies as lawmakers consider Medicare pay cuts and tighter regulation. Hospitals counter that mergers, rising drug costs, and administrative burdens drive prices, and are increasing lobbying and messaging to defend their position while policy changes—backed by the Trump administration and Congress—loom, including potential restructuring of 340B and scrutiny of hospital consolidations.