The record · Topic 01 of 15
How much do people want it
What got approved
This is the thing Americans agree on more than anything else on the list, and Congress has not passed a law about it.
It has also become more popular, sharply, among one party. A 2019 survey asked much the same question and found 65% in favor, with Republicans at 54%. By February 2026 the figure was 86%, with Republicans at 90%. We keep both numbers with their dates rather than replacing one with the other. Why dates matter more than age.
What could have been
The Most Favored Patient Act was introduced in March 2026 by a Republican member from Pennsylvania. It would require the government office that tests new Medicare ideas to run a program paying no more for drugs than other countries pay. Drug makers that don't agree to those prices by the end of 2028 would have to offer them to Medicare for five years.
It was sent to two committees and has not been brought up for a vote. Even if it passed tomorrow, the earliest anything would start is January 2029.
A second measure was introduced saying members support this idea. It is a statement of opinion and changes no law.
Additional notes
The administration reached voluntary pricing agreements with 17 large drug makers and has said it is working with Congress to write them into law. Voluntary agreements are not law — a future administration can end them, and no court can enforce them the way it enforces a statute. We note them here and never count them. Why.
Where these came from
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