Posted on 01/26/2016 6:37:47 AM PST by GIdget2004
Donald Trump is calling for Medicare to be able to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices, a policy long backed by Democrats and opposed by Republicans.
The Republican presidential candidate told a crowd in Farmington, N.H., Monday night that the policy would save billions of dollars, but then took a shot at pharmaceutical companies, which strongly oppose the proposal.
"We don't do it. Why? Because of the drug companies," Trump said, according to The Associated Press.
Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, as well as President Obama, have called for the same policy of letting Medicare negotiate prices, which it is currently banned from doing under the 2003 Medicare prescription drug law. The Democratic candidates also have both bashed the drug companies on the stump.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
It happens because our politicians are paid off to let health care providers, ‘insurance’ companies, and pharma companies rape the people of this nation to the tune of 1/5 of our GDP.
Reagan had four factions to deal with . . Neoconservatives, the Old Right, Libertarians, and the New Right. He managed to bring them all together eventually, but the Old and New Right and the Libertarians were not agreeable with the more liberal, ‘Democratic’ leanings of the Neoconservatives.
“They thought he meant to roll back government and radically shrink it to a size they imagined, eliminating huge programs such as Social Security along the way. Reagan did not think in these terms, rather, he thought more of efficiency—more bang for the taxpayer’s buck. Stated another way, Reagan wanted to make government work better, not merely make it smaller. Further, he wanted government to be less intrusive in the daily lives of citizens as they sought to make their way in life. Neoconservatives were more attuned to this view and were, thus, the main beneficiaries of Reagan’s economic stance. Their manta was “democratic capitalism,†not free market economics. In short, Neoconservatives ended up being appointed to many important posts of Reagan’s government. - See more at: http://www.visionandvalues.org/2004/07/ronald-reagan-and-the-changing-face-of-conservatism/#sthash.c4D4iPws.dpuf
Been an RN 40 years not an international negotiator. I just know what pharmaceutical companies charge Americans when others are paying less.
Government doesn't really negotiate, they would dictate. The democrats would love to use this as an avenue to initiate price controls. And there are a lot of alleged conservatives who would cheer them on. If consistent, these same cheerleaders would demand that government negotiate worker wages lower so we get lower prices at the store. The government already tells doctors what they can charge for Medicare services and that's worked out so well that new Medicare patients can't find doctors. Same thing will happen when you want to find a new drug. Lower prices and little innovation. Great.
If Americans are allowed to buy prescription drugs from foreign pharmacies, the prices that foreign pharmacies charge will go up, while American pharmacies will charge less. Simple supply and demand.
The cost of prescription drugs would thus level out across borders through unrestricted capitalism. Pharmaceuticals will still make their profit and if they choose to direct those profits into research, then that is their choice.
Drug research will continue as long as it is profitable.
Why should Americans be the only ones paying for the research?
It looks like in the end that Trump is not going to be so good as we hoped. One could start with removing the laws make it illegal for someone to buy prescription drugs overseas and import them back to the US. We are talking about the same drugs made by the same companies being sold at a mere fraction of the cost overseas. And congress has passed special law to protect this behavior. The governments involvement in Health Care is the reason that its hopelessly screwed up in the first place.
That could explain why our prices are high, not why foreign prices are low.
If you find out why others are paying less, please let me know.
Can you explain why the Canadian healthcare system, for example, isn't paying for our research?
No, the prices of drugs in most every foreign market are set by government and cannot deviate. Governments do what they do best by restricting capitalism. There is also a huge black market in pharmaceuticals that is managed mostly by organized crime. You want to import price controls to the US, and you want to allow Americans access to adulterated and counterfeit drugs. Great.
Why should Americans be the only ones paying for the research?
It's true that Americans pay a wildly disproportionate amount of the cost to develop new drugs. You should read more about it to learn why. The lesson learned would be that socialism fails wherever it is tried so demanding socialism at home is probably not a good idea.
I don’t believe Reagan changed parties as much as Trump:
Trump’s party affiliation has changed over the years. Until 1987, he was a Democrat.[4] Then he was a Republican from 1987–99.[3] He then switched to the Reform Party from 1999–2001.[3] From 2001–09 he was a Democrat again,[3] and switched to the Republican Party again from 2009–11.[3] An independent from 2011–12, he returned to the Republican Party where he has remained from 2012–present.[
There are more than a few politicians that are eager to give them what they think they want. Big government conservatism marches on.
Nowhere and you are absolutely right. If it were possible to simply shut the program down for good I would be right next to you cheering.
Alas, this behemoth is entrenched so it needs to be cored our before it can be killed.
A whole chapter! Well sign me up then. Let’s forget altogether that he’s suggesting what Hillary is.
You didn’t post a link, navet.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3387449/posts
Trump has voted straight Republican since 1987.
A winner would be someone who asks for negotiation for lower prescription prices. But you go ahead and pay those skyrocketing prices.
It was from Wikipedia
You want to be fooled that Trump is this master negotiator and ignore his liberal leanings and willingness to cut deals with McConnell and Schumer, your choice for sure.
He's a winner alright.
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