Health Care reform Needs Media Reform

[Joanne98]

For OpEdNews: Rory OConnor - Writer

American broadcasters, magazines, newspapers and other publishers take in more than four billion dollars a year in drug advertising. The drug money is a rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal downward revenue spiral for media of all types. Last year was a horrible year for advertising spending in this country, which fell 12.3 percent. Spending in seven of the top ten leading ad categories fell compared with 2008. The only exceptions were in the industry categories of telecommunications, food and candy, and pharmaceuticals, which showed the largest increase of all.

Wonder why? Perhaps it's because the US is one of only two countries in the world -- along with New Zealand -- that permits direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs. Yes, your country is one of only two outliers when it comes to allowing those incredibly annoying and ubiquitous "ask-your-doctor" spots. But if you were hoping a modicum of media reform, aimed at reducing health care costs and delivering better services, might be packaged among all the other goodies and giveaways in the Obama Administration's forthcoming health care reform bill, you can forget it. Lobbyists long ago succeeded in turning back all efforts to end the special interest business-tax deductions that Big Pharma drug makers can take for advertising.

In an early round of reform negotiations, the drug industry actively considered giving up the advertising deductibility as part of the $80 billion dollar deal they made with the Obama crowd to reduce pharmaceutical spending over ten years. But media lobbyists quickly swooped in and killed the idea, turning back nascent efforts in both the House and the Senate. "Advertising deductibility safe!" American Advertising Federation executive Clark Rector wrote in a press release late last year, when the deal went down. Ending the tax break for drug spots "would be a disastrous choice, both economically and politically."

Supporters like Rector claim the commercials not only educate consumers but also save lives. But critics contend they simply drive up health care costs by encouraging you to take expensive and sometimes less effective drugs -- often for newly invented diseases!

Continued>>>
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Health-Care-reform-Needs-M-by-Rory-OConnor-100318-273.html

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Joanne.

[Joanne98]

2. You're very welcome Uncle Joe.

[JohnWxy]

3. RECOMMENDED! I find it interesting when I hear M$M having their very serious discussions about why

is Washington so screwed up, and why can't (the Democrats) get anything done. The subject is never broached about how the Republican Echo Chamber of M$M spends most of it's time repeating GOP disinformation as if it's real and how little time is spent informing viewers on the ISSUE of Health Care Costs and Reform. I truly believe if people were more aware of the facts the Corporate Lobbyist Party would not be able to sell their strategy of opposing anything the Democrats propose as a "philosophical difference".

People would see the choices that we are presented with, and indicate a preference. The shouting and mayhem only succeeds as many people are honestly still confused by the whole subject. And how is that? Because M$M is, of course, under pressure (ownership, mgt, advertizing dollars) to keep repeating GOP disinformation and also, this is easier than actually doing some work (like some real reporting).

There are some notable exceptions, like Bill Moyers Journal, and 60 Minutes. There have been reports on M$M about rising health care costs and insurance costs too, but they are swamped by the repeating of disinformation.