Medicare Could Save $30 Billion A Year By Allowing Government To Negotiate Prices

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/5441

Medicare Could Save $30 Billion A Year By Allowing Government To Negotiate Prices - 03/09/07

By Doug Cunningham

The Medicare prescription drug program could save $30 billion a year if the government were allowed to negotiate lower drug prices. That's according to a new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Economist Dean Baker says the Veterans Administration and many foreign countries pay as much as 70 percent less for drugs than the Medicare drug program. And fewer people than expected enrolled, also a factor in the lower than projected cost. The bottom line? Congress created a program that's unnecessarily more costly than if a drug benefit had just been added to existing Medicare with the government power to negotiate lower prices.

AUDIO story here: http://www.laborradio.org/files/lo/winsheadlines.ram

[Faux pas]

1. Hell's bells! Wouldn't negotiating prices ruin big phama's

margin??? :sarcasm:

R&K for good old common sense.

[napi21]

2. NO! Not if repealing the "no negotiation" section was accompanied

by a "NO ADVERTISING" law! I read an articleabout 2 weeks ago that did a study to find out why the drug companies in Europe charge an average of 50% less for their drugs but their drug companies still operate on a 30% margin. The found TWO differences between the European drug companies and those in the US. European drug companies DOn'T Do Public advertising and send throngs of salesmen visiting doctors and bribing them with golf trips, vacations, etc.

Besides, why the hell are they advertising prescription drugs anyway? The common thread is "Ask Your Doctor!" For God sake, promote your products to the Doctors, sure, but get the hell off my TV and out of my magazines!

[robinlynne]

3. you are SO RIGHT!

[napi21]

4. I don't remember which idiot President, and idiot Congress

first authorized this damn advertising, but I sure remember when there were NO drug ads! I know there are more importantissues for our new Dem Congress to deal with right now, but I sure would like to see this become ahighlight on their agenda in the near future!

[Faux pas]

7. Love the idea of no advertising. Sounds simple and easy to me.

But you know the greedy pigs will fight to the death on that one. Since when are they the boss of us? Without us, they would be nothing. I'm all for natural healing but I am aware that sometimes people do need the drugs.
Knock wood, so far I'm not one of them.

[napi21]

8. It would be a HUGH battle against the broadcasters AND the

drug companies, but I believe if this were presented to the public, it would havealmost unanamous support! I don't think I've EVER spoken to anyone who likes those damn ads orthinks they do any service at all!

I'm a disadvantage becausemy Reo & both Senators are all Pugs! I still write & call them, but the response is,well....let's just say less than responsive.Would you folks instates with Dem leaders please contact YOUR officials and make this a suggestion? I always ocntact Pelosi & Reid, but I'm afraid they get so many contacts, all of them fall into the black hole.

[job777]

12. You may have hit on something

Now if we could only get the Pols to do the same thing.

[jwirr]

5. And God only knows how many trees could be saved if these private

suppliers quit sending reams of documents to their clients. NO ONE READS THEM.

[KT2000]

6. But those commercials on tv

say that the world will come to an end if the government is allowed to negotiate - the WSJ said so!!

[formercia]

9. and $300 Billion by getting out of Iraq.

IMHO.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Yes, government has done such a good job negotiating prices

for school books and hammers.

[stonebone]

11. Never let common sense get in the way of enriching your big corporate campaign supporters