Posted on 04/23/2021 1:10:20 PM PDT by ransomnote
Why doesn’t the AARP seem to care about volatile insulin prices?
Excerpt:
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) recently made waves claiming that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are to blame for the volatility of insulin prices. It’s a bold statement, to be sure. But here’s the thing: the senator is absolutely right...
One fact that may surprise many is that the net price of insulin has been decreasing for years. But much to the dismay of those who depend on the drug to survive, those negotiated savings are rarely shared directly with patients — who see the list price of the drug climbing. As a result, patients with chronic conditions (like diabetes) are paying higher out-of-pocket costs. And unfortunately, PBMs’ business practices only exacerbate the situation.
PBMs — the middlemen of America’s healthcare system—are notorious for raising drug prices, and insulin is no exception. A 2018 study from the American Diabetes Association found that PBMs’ efforts to “negotiate” drug costs actually contribute to higher list prices. This system incentivizes higher list prices and larger rebates — only those discounts are not passed along to patients at the pharmacy counter, leading to higher health care costs.
The real question isn’t whether PBMs bear significant responsibility for higher patient health care costs — they do. Instead, people should be asking: why doesn’t the AARP seem to care?
The frustrating answer is that, despite what the organization may claim, AARP doesn’t actually represent the interests of its members. Rather, it reflects those of its corporate funders: UnitedHealth Group (UHG) — the nation’s largest health care insurance company — and UHG’s wholly owned subsidiary, OptumRx. Each year, those businesses provide AARP with nearly 40 percent of the organization’s entire operating budget, dwarfing the amount received from membership dues. And here’s the kicker: UHG’s subsidiary, OptumRx, is one of the country’s biggest PBMs.
It’s no wonder, then, that AARP doesn’t jump at the chance to call out PBMs for the harm they are causing seniors. The “senior advocacy organization” is financially disincentivized from doing just that. Over the last decade, UHG has paid AARP well over $4.2 billion — funds that have seemingly bought the nonprofit’s fealty. “You don’t bite the hand that feeds you” is an adage the AARP has apparently taken to heart.
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A reminder too...President Trump fought for better drug prices when ordering drugs prices on insulin to be affordable for patients.
losers from the git go
losers going to git mo
Manhood is dead.... https://t.co/0SNJNv6w4s— Matt Couch (@RealMattCouch) April 26, 2021
Trump hasn’t conceded and neither shall we! His plan is our plan, don’t give any credence to the soothsayers, prognosticators and fortune tellers who say they know what Trump’s plan is. They don’t. Only Trump does and we must have faith in him doing what is best for our nation now and in the future.
I seem to recall that Bobby Jindal’s parents weren’t citizens when he was born, either. May have been student visas.
Disgusting how they've managed to sweep this under the rug. Chester Arthur, BO, many of the 2016 GOP candidates, now this one too.
I’m not a big Bannon fan either. He and Gorka showed their true colors when they decided to back their own candidate for Alabama Senate, instead of uniting with Trump, and it cost us that seat. Bannon is an opportunist. I remember Milo mentioning that in the run up to the 2016 election Bannon told him that he was neutral on Trump. Bannon is all about building his own brand, and he will ally himself with people and movements if it helps him promote himself. I think he did the same thing with Breitbart, latching on to Breitbart’s success and inheriting his following after he died.
Hasn’t beer always been plant based?
.
Bobby Jindal seems like ancient history now. Good riddance to him. Just another RINO pretending to be loyal to conservativism. He dug his own grave when he went over the top with his attacks on Trump during primary season.
He followed a pattern of Establishment backed Republicans who build their conservative ‘cred’ at the state level then try to use that to leverage themselves into higher office on the national level. Marco, JEB, Nikki, Jindal, they’re all the same - joined at the hip with the Establishment. Marco and Jindal were particularly good at giving the “inspiring” scripted speech. They sound good until you hear them say the same exact thing over and over, word for word, at every event.
***Hasn’t beer always been plant based?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mmmmmmmm..... bacon beer.... (Homer Simpson face)
“...6.5% abv. Dark red in color. The beloved scent of bacon stands out from the typical medium hop aroma of a red ale. The malty sweetness of the base beer blends perfectly with the salty, savory, and smokey bacon extract to create a delicious and unique beer. Bacon & Kegs pairs well with breakfast food items (obviously!) or can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, soon to be iconic beer...”
https://www.oconeebrewingco.com/bacon-kegs
Night all
Lol. I’m particularly partial to chicken and beef based beers myself, but I have to admit that bacon beer sounds pretty good.
LJ, MqD, bitt, G_W,
Saw this BTT; Dr in India said they paused the ivermectin, but are now starting it up again; he said to watch for a downtown in cases in two weeks.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3953801/posts
“Welcome Home” to your hubby.
Semper Fi to your sons.
Blue Lives matter more than most know.
Hand salute to you.
Now I think I’ll sit down now and watch the show
oh boy. I made no comment when you first mentioned it, figuring it would go limp and we could move on.
this could be the slide of all times...and a zot for this whole thread.
So, pick a path...this way ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHA0y0-DQC4
- warning warning warning
Why doesn’t the AARP care that our meds come from China? AARP was all in for Obamacare too.
I am immediately identifying as a gay transgendered fat black woman.
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