I think that item two on your list must be looked at carefully. There are people out there that have to take drugs that cost over $1000.00 a month. The cost of drugs has to come down. Not sure how this could be handled but many people can’t afford some of these drugs.
The Republicans have to shoulder there share of the blame, in this regard. They passed a prescription drug benefit (read: entitlement), which was a colossal mistake. But, they then compounded that mistake by prohibiting Medicare from negotiating the best price possible. Unfortunately, other countries who are also customers of those same drug companies, negotiate fiercely with them, driving the price down significantly. The result? American taxpayers end up subsidizing the purchase of drugs from American drug makers. It's insane.
As I understand Obamacare, similar constraints were placed on the the so-called public cooperatives that will provide insurance to the uninsurable. This was a deal that was struck with the Big Pharma to gain their support. As a result, American taxpayers will subsidize an increasing share of the foreign drug purchases.
I'm not normally a guy that reflexively blasts industry lobbies. But in this case, Big Pharma is big-time screwing the American taxpayer. Big Time.
By the way, it's telling that a media that LOVES it some horror stories about business ripping off government (look at all the gotcha defense industry stories that get produced every year), completely ignore this story. Why? Look at your nightly news casts. Every commercial break is one drug commercial after another. Big Pharma has literally bought and paid for a compliant Big Media.
Perhaps so but kindly point me to that section of the Constitution that says the government is responsible for anyone’s health care?
If so, means test it then and by means I don’t wish to use the income level as the qualifier. In effect what these “programs” do is insure that individuals will receive a tax supported estate. Were one to have to depleat their assets before going on the government dole, there would be no estate.
I own stock in one of these high cost drug companies...their monthly drug cost is more than $5K yet they have a system to furnish drugs to the destitute and uninsured. Of course, their prime mission is to get this drug onto the government formulary which they have been successful at so there are few who qualify for very reduced cost drugs.
Perhaps the way to go is for the G to underwrite most of the development costs of these companies and to remove the onus of being sued if their drugs are found to not work as well as believed in an effort to get the costs down. These are avenues that should be looked at but merely passing high costs onto the taxpayers is not in my mind the way to go.
Really??? How many?? Whats your point? Our country is at the brink of economic collapse.