August 21, 2009
Obama's PhRMA deal
"Smith: Obama's strategy was to vilify the drug companies and then cut deals with them in secret..."
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=4134SMOLENSKAIA: In his 2008 campaign ads, Obama denounced Billy Tauzin, head of PhRMA, for blocking Medicare from negotiating for lower drug prices. Tauzin, one of cofounders of the House Blue Dogs coalition, crossed over to the Republican side in '95.BARACK OBAMA, US PRESIDENT: The pharmaceutical industry wrote into the prescription drug plan that Medicare could not negotiate with drug companies. And you know what? The chairman of the committee, who pushed the law through, went to work for the pharmaceutical industry, making $2 million a year.
SMOLENSKAIA: In their last week's article, Los Angeles Times reports that Tauzin said he carefully negotiated his agreements with the White House, offering the $80 billion discount program in return for assurances that there would be no government price-setting in Medicare Part D, Medicare prescription drug coverage for seniors.
SMITH: They talk about they're going to hold costs down, maybe they're going to shave off a few billion dollars here over the next ten years and a billion dollars there. But that's a drop in the bucket in comparison to what they will gain by having a purchase-insurance mandate that would make every American citizen purchase coverage that would allow them to buy the drugs that big pharma will not be required to negotiate any bulk pricing for or any lower pricing for anyone. So it's a huge windfall for them that if health-care reform passes. With all of us purchasing coverage through private insurance and bringing those dollars in to buy pharmaceuticals, it's a huge, huge benefit to them.
SMOLENSKAIA: According to Los Angeles Times, Tauzin also said the industry asked the administration not to allow the import of cheaper drugs, because of safety concerns..."
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