[Mase]

Right now, Medicare drug prices are offered by a system of competing private plans. This includes Medicare advantage and at least 1,000 prescription drug plans available through private plans.Thanks to this competition, the total cost of the Medicare drug plan is half of what it was projected to be when the program was created in 2003.

There are conservatives who believe that the drug companies are ripping people off and that if we allow government to negotiate prices, all of a sudden government will become benevolent and reliable, and we will all enjoy lower costs without any consequences. This is idiocy on parade.

When government talks about "negotiating" drug prices, it means instituting price controls. And what could possibly go wrong with price controls? Why is it that when it comes to this issue, conservatives can't wait to get into bed with the likes of Bernie Sanders?

[mtrott]

“When government talks about “negotiating” drug prices, it means instituting price controls. And what could possibly go wrong with price controls? Why is it that when it comes to this issue, conservatives can’t wait to get into bed with the likes of Bernie Sanders?”

Thank you. What many fail to realize is that, usually, there is only one company who produces a certain brand name drug. I think some people have the notion that, for example Merck can be “played off” against Pfizer, in order to get them to compete and thereby obtain better pricing. But, since they do not make the same drug, they cannot do that.

If we, as a nation, want to “commoditize” drugs, we can go for it, but realize that the pace and scope of new drug development will slow to a crawl.