Fixing Medicare: Start By Eliminating Drug Makers' Sweetheart Deal, Not Benefits

[CuteOldGuy]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

From the article:

The influence that Big Pharma has purchased by lobbying our nation's legislators has an impact that touches virtually every American. Not only does it affect health insurance premiums, but it also impacts the solvency of our Medicare system, which was expanded in 2006 to include a prescription drug benefit. That was good news for Medicare beneficiaries, of course, but even better news for the pharmaceutical industry. That's because the industry's friends in Congress (and the White House at the time) went along with Big Pharma's demand that Medicare not be allowed to negotiate pricing with drug makers to make medicines more affordable to beneficiaries.

So not only did drug makers get a huge new revenue stream from taxpayers, but they pulled a fast one on us. Insurers and hospitals and even the Department of Veterans Affairs can bargain with drug makers to get better deals on prices. But, incredibly, not the Medicare program.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the government could save $112 billion over the coming decade if Congress reconsidered its 2006 gift to drug makers and gave Medicare the ability to negotiate prices.

Remember that the next time you hear a politician say that the only way to keep the program from going broke is to cut benefits and raise the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67.

For the rest of the article, click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendel...b_2661132.html

[gnadfly]

People in the US should be allowed to order and receive drugs from online, offshore companies. The prices for most non-patent drugs would drop precipitously.

[Guest123018-4]

Medicare often pays out much more than it should as a result of their own rules rather than the best practices of the medical field.
Off label use of drugs that are just as effective but much less expensive is prohibited by Medicare. The result is often paying hundreds and even thousands more for treatments.

[WTF]

Originally Posted by The2Dogs

Medicare often pays out much more than it should as a result of their own rules rather than the best practices of the medical field.
Off label use of drugs that are just as effective but much less expensive is prohibited by Medicare. The result is often paying hundreds and even thousands more for treatments.

What congress and President passed that law? I do agree , it should be overturned but who was in charge when this passed and who bitched at the time?

[jbravo_123]

I think it'd be great if the governement could negotiate with the drug companies, but I do have to ask - does anyone know how far $112 billion goes towards paying for Medicare?

I just ask because I thought it cost much more than that these days and while yes, saving $112 billion over 10 years would be great, I'm pretty certain it's just a drop in the bucket on how much MCR is going to cost?

[cptjohnstone]

a good friend of mine was named top allergist in Dallas, was even on D mag as "top doc" anyway before the crack down on gifts he had ever known golf ball made in the world. He also had trips all over the world

[Yssup Rider]

Im down with that... Surprised that you are! After all, they're job creators!

Good story on ABC tonight about drug costs. A couple, stuck with a 17,000 a month bill, was able to reduce it to 400 bucks. You can TCB on health care or you can whine about it.

[Guest123018-4]

It does not matter who did it, it should be corrected but it will not.
The sad fact is that there are those that commit fraud against the system and since we are dealing with government they have a hard time discerning between the two. Sadly Texas is way up there on Medicare fraud and life sentences are not enough for stealing our tax dollars. Hard to defend but we elect people that do it all the time.


It really does not mater who was in charge when the rules were made, whoever is in charge now should work to make it right.

[WTF]

Originally Posted by The2Dogs

It really does not mater who was in charge when the rules were made, whoever is in charge now should work to make it right.

Well now I would disagree....I would be looking at those congressmen who supported it when it happened and see if now they are trying to backtrack. Instead, you will blame Obama!

[Yssup Rider]

Originally Posted by The2Dogs

It really does not mater who was in charge when the rules were made, whoever is in charge now should work to make it right.

Seems like that's ALL that's being screamed about nowadays. Who's idea was the sequester. Who first said this, that or the other?

And it's ALL coming from the right side of the sewer.

I guess in this case, the rule was proposed, pushed and passed by GOP members.

BTW -- a number of national health plans negotiate with the drug companies. That's why drug prices are so much cheaper in other countries. After all, when your "group" is the entire marketplace, you've got some pretty strong leverage.