The Big Story 

Dr. Mehmet Oz wants supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement to understand why the Trump administration is seeking deals with drug companies they despise.

Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press

Speaking during a weekly call with MAHA supporters on Wednesday, Oz said he recognized that some were not happy when the administration last week announced a deal with Pfizer about lowering drug prices for Medicaid patients. 

“Some of the companies we’re working with are not companies that folks in the MAHA movement have thought highly of,” said Oz, who is the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

“I would challenge all of us to revisit what has gone down in the last five years. Much of what happened during COVID was frustrating, angering. I certainly faced it. Many of you did as well,” Oz said, but argued the administration is empowering the American people by stopping drug companies from charging exorbitantly high prices. 

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla stood next to Oz and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office last week as President Trump announced a deal on his “most favored nation” policy. While many of the details were secret, Pfizer agreed to sell its medications to Medicaid at prices similar to those offered in other countries. 

The White House said the deal would save “many millions” of dollars for Medicaid. Kennedy noted the “long history of antipathy and antagonism” between himself and Bourla, but praised him for the agreement. 

“We want to make sure that we don’t push companies to stop innovating. We want everyone to continue to build the best solutions possible. So I encourage you to at least have optimism around that as we go through this process,” Oz said Wednesday. 

He also championed Trump’s push to create a TrumpRx website that will allow consumers to purchase drugs directly from manufacturers as an example of MAHA’s “radical transparency.” 

“We are building the house of trust with all these bricks, with radical transparency at every level.” Oz said, asking supporters to “respect us and trust us because we’re telling you our best information.”  

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

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