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United States · Business news · Policy & Regulation · 18 Sept 2026

White House extends most-favoured-nation drug prices to every state Medicaid programme, with 26 drugmakers signed up

US Health Care

What happened

The White House said all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have joined the arrangement that gives Medicaid programmes access to the most-favoured-nation prices agreed with drug manufacturers. It says 26 drugmakers, representing 90% of the branded US market, have signed such agreements, which tie US prices to those paid in comparable developed countries. The administration projects savings of more than $600 billion overall and nearly $65 billion for Medicaid over the next decade, and says the companies have committed about $170 billion to US manufacturing and research.

Why it matters for listed companies

Medicaid is a low-margin channel for branded drugmakers because of existing mandatory rebates, so the revenue effect of matching overseas prices there is smaller than the same step would be in Medicare or commercial insurance. The exposure is to pharmaceutical and biotech companies with large Medicaid volumes, and to the managed-care insurers and pharmacy benefit managers that run Medicaid drug plans. The savings figures are the administration's own projections and the release gives no company-level detail.

Reported by The White House — “President Trump Extends Most Favored Nation Drug Pricing to Every Medicaid Program in America” ↗ on 18 Sept 2026.

Rates and currencies since this was reported

Official series on 18 Sept 2026 or the last day before it, and the latest observation.

US Treasury 2-year yield
4.76% → 4.77% +1 bp
18 Sept 2026 → 15 Oct 2026 · US Treasury
US Treasury 10-year yield
5.01% → 5.10% +9 bp
18 Sept 2026 → 15 Oct 2026 · US Treasury
Effective fed funds rate
3.88% → 3.88% unchanged
18 Sept 2026 → 15 Oct 2026 · Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Euro in US dollars
1.1460 → 1.1253 -0.0207
18 Sept 2026 → 16 Oct 2026 · ECB reference rate
These figures are measured, not attributed. Prices and rates move for many reasons at once; they show what happened after this story, not that the story caused it. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell or hold.

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