Negotiating Drug Prices

[TexasTiger 12,958]

Why is negotiating what the government pays for drugs even remotely controversial? Shouldn’t the government negotiate all procurements to get the best price? Why don’t both parties support this?

https://apnews.com/article/medicare-prescription-drug-negotiations-biden-inflation-2bf6775c3431111a2cd03fd033caefa7

[AU9377 4,977]

6 minutes ago, TexasTiger said:

Why is negotiating what the government pays for drugs even remotely controversial? Shouldn’t the government negotiate all procurements to get the best price? Why don’t both parties support this?

https://apnews.com/article/medicare-prescription-drug-negotiations-biden-inflation-2bf6775c3431111a2cd03fd033caefa7

To get the legislation passed, the government had to agree to only negotiate 10 drugs each year.  It gets worse, those drugs chosen and prices negotiated don't get implemented until 2026.  That is the direct result of Big Pharma lobbying and their desire to drain every penny they can from American taxpayers.  It is like standing in line to get raped and pretending that it is just what has to happen.

[AURex 2,015]

Pharma companies have been dumping truckloads of money into the pockets of Congress-Critters of a certain species for decades to keep Medicare from permission to negotiate prices. Their reason, politically, has always been "free market pricing." This despite the fact that every other country in the world negotiates prices -- welp -- because they have universal health coverage and their federal government likes lower drug prices negotiated by their health agency. It is just plain good politics -- except in the U.S.

The concomitant blockade in the U.S. has been the U.S. patent system. Pharma companies patent a drug and have total autonomy in setting the price because competition and negotiation are not allowed. Then as the patent is about to run out, they do a minor reformulation and patent that.

Having worked in health sciences institutions for 3 decades, I saw it in action, including the unfortunate patients dying because they could not afford the userous greed of pharma companies and the politically disabled federal health care system.

 

[TexasTiger 12,958]

6 minutes ago, AURex said:

Pharma companies have been dumping truckloads of money into the pockets of Congress-Critters of a certain species for decades to keep Medicare from permission to negotiate prices. Their reason, politically, has always been "free market pricing." This despite the fact that every other country in the world negotiates prices -- welp -- because they have universal health coverage and their federal government likes lower drug prices negotiated by their health agency. It is just plain good politics -- except in the U.S.

The concomitant blockade in the U.S. has been the U.S. patent system. Pharma companies patent a drug and have total autonomy in setting the price because competition and negotiation are not allowed. Then as the patent is about to run out, they do a minor reformulation and patent that.

Having worked in health sciences institutions for 3 decades, I saw it in action, including the unfortunate patients dying because they could not afford the userous greed of pharma companies and the politically disabled federal health care system.

 

There’s so much unconscionable about this industry and its stranglehold on our supposed representatives. The cost of epi pens is criminal.

[AURex 2,015]

True, and it also applies to cancer drugs and also very common drugs prescribed for high blood pressure. And a 90 day supply of the blood thinner Eliquis, which helps reduce the rusk of blood clots and stroke, costs $2,000 for a 90 day supply. I was glad to see this on the first list of drugs Medicare will negotiate prices on, since I have to take it. There is no generic, so hey, they charge what they want to charge.

 

 

[Gowebb11 9,337]

18 hours ago, TexasTiger said:

Why is negotiating what the government pays for drugs even remotely controversial? Shouldn’t the government negotiate all procurements to get the best price? Why don’t both parties support this?

https://apnews.com/article/medicare-prescription-drug-negotiations-biden-inflation-2bf6775c3431111a2cd03fd033caefa7

Negotiations should have happened years ago and it shouldn’t be controversial at all. The prices our seniors pay for prescription drugs relative to the rest of the world is obscene. What bothers me about this particular measure is that Biden continues to take a victory lap and boast of his achievement here. He shouldn’t be. Negotiations for 10 drugs out of thousands is a joke. And it doesn’t get implemented until 2026. By that time several of the drugs on the list will be generic and available for $10 a month anyway. 

[TexasTiger 12,958]

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

Negotiations should have happened years ago and it shouldn’t be controversial at all. The prices our seniors pay for prescription drugs relative to the rest of the world is obscene. What bothers me about this particular measure is that Biden continues to take a victory lap and boast of his achievement here. He shouldn’t be. Negotiations for 10 drugs out of thousands is a joke. And it doesn’t get implemented until 2026. By that time several of the drugs on the list will be generic and available for $10 a month anyway. 

So you’re mad at Biden when there was zero congressional support for anything stronger? This has never happened on any scale. That’s the fact that pisses me off.

[CoffeeTiger 5,135]

5 hours ago, TexasTiger said:

So you’re mad at Biden when there was zero congressional support for anything stronger? This has never happened on any scale. That’s the fact that pisses me off.

 

And the cycle continues of blaming Democrats for "not doing enough" while ignoring Republicans and Conservative Dems efforts to stop it from happening at all. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by CoffeeTiger

[creed 1,641]

Bottom line.....Anytime your health (me, you, them) is used to for corporate profit, open your wallet because you're screwed.