If President Obama negotiated no drug importation...

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

If President Obama negotiated no drug importation in the deal with Pharma, what was gained in exchange?

Put another way, what is the threat of what Pharma would do if the non-importation deal were reneged upon?

I do not know, but it does theoretically make a difference is assessing the story.

[emulatorloo]

1. Also what is the threat of what Obama would do if Pharma reneged?

These details would be helpful to know.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. That is probably a big zero, for practical reasons

I don't expect any corporation to honor a hand-shake deal... ever.

And any threat that, "If you don't do X we will but Y in the bill" is hollow since the WH seems to have no ability whatsoever to put anything in the bill.

Any Pharma deal was struck before it became apparent just how few cards we were holding, so it was probably a better deal than we could strike today.

But, as you note/imply it is probably unenforceable anyway.

[FrenchieCat]

2. "If", "Then"......

But "If not", then "What"?

theoretically speaking, that could make a difference in assessing the story.

And yes...."We do not know".

[DrToast]

3. Pharma has agreed to cut $80 billion over ten years

They came to that agreement because they were one of the first parties on board with the legislation.

Personally, I think one of the reasons reform has gotten this far is because many of the traditional enemies of health care reform weren't enemies. In that respect, I think the White House should keep the deal they made.

[Better Believe It]

15. So instead of raising drug prices 200 billion they'll only increase prices 120 billion over 10 years

Whooppee!

How do police and enforce this handshake pledge by big Pharma and how do you know in ten years that they charged 80 billion less over ten years?

This pledge is totally meaningless and isn't worth spit!

[alc]

23. more likely

instead of raising drug prices 200 billion, they'll only increase them by 200 billion but say it would have been 280 billion without the deal.

And they'll tell us that in order to do the cuts they had to decrease research so we are missing out on all sorts of great drugs that they could have made but 1) didn't have the money for research, and 2) could not have sold them even if the existed and stayed under the goal. I expect them to start this real soon, then the "cuts" will go away.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Don't know any details. If you want a hypothesis...

Pharma's been tentatively supportive of whole health care reform idea for months. I'm guessing they've got a few senators that could kill anything. So hypothetically the choice could be between health care reform without importation, or no healthcare reform at all.

[Pirate Smile]

7. That is kind of what I've figured this whole time. It is to keep them from killing health care

reform entirely.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. From the original story...

"Opponents of the amendment worry that many more Republicans may join the amendment not because they agree with it, but because they want to put the health care bill in jeopardy."

[Armstead]

14. If so the GOP is ;playing it smart while we play it dumb and cowardy

Can't blame the GOP for playing it smart and causing mischief.

What is sad is that our cowardice and corruption has given them that opening.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. What do you mean "our?"

Speak for yourself.

[Armstead]

17. Our as in all of us who are not Republicans or conservatives.. and who...

let the party that supposedly represents us get away with this shit year after year after year.

None of us (including me and thee) are off the hook until this changes, no matter what we may accomplish individually.

[timeforpeace]

13. HCR might fail anyway if drug costs are not finally controlled. Biggest single line item.

[Armstead]

6. One word -- Cowardice,,,Make that two words --- Corruption

A way has got to be found to make drugs affordable for people. Importation is one way.

That's the public interest.

Big Pharma wants to continue making big profits.

There is a conflict between the public interest and private greed.

By agreeing to protect their big profits, for fear of their opposition, we have bargained away our ability to bring drugs costs down.

Most people, I think, would prefer havijng access to drugs at reasonable prices Drug companies could still make money.

But by giving in to them, we hgave shown both cowardice and (onn the part of those who carry Pharma's water) corruption.

[PolNewf]

9. Drug importation is a farce

If you are smart you will try to trade it away and get something for it because if the US government allows it then the Canadian Government will likely outlaw it.

We would face a very real threat of escalating prices and supply restrictions if the flood gates opened.

[Armstead]

12. Good point, but Canada is not the only other country

With all this globalization that's been going on, I'm pretty sure ways would be found to provided many sources from around the world.

And, more important, in the US it would add competitive pressure for the domestic market.

[slipslidingaway]

22. The US government should be able to make their own deal with the ...

drug companies instead of trying to use deals negotiated by others.

[timeforpeace]

10. What is the quid pro quo for taking such an aggregious stand against the American Rx consumer? Hugh

amounts of money comes to mind. Nah, can't be that.

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. Pharma won't run TV ads attacking Democrats who voted for the bill

[phleshdef]

18. Another question is, isn't safety a valid concern? Look at some of the problems with non-drug import

If they allow it and some drug makes it into the country and its tainted, suddenly President Obama is gonna get blamed for getting people killed.

I'm all for allowing it with the right regulations and oversight, but a lot of people are ignoring the valid safety concerns that the FDA brings up.

[Armstead]

19. All the more treason tpo legalize it....

regulate it with quality controls.

keep it illegal and people will go to the black market.

[phleshdef]

27. We are talking anti-biotics here, not weed.

[timeforpeace]

28. We're not talking open bottles here. Shipping boxes and crates, and tamper-proof packaging. It's the

law and has been for quite some time.

[dflprincess]

20. Does "no drug importation" mean pharma won't be able to import generics from China?

Every since my prescripton went generic I wonder every time I take it where it was made and what I'm really taking.

[timeforpeace]

29. No, it means the bottle of your generic that Pharma sold to Canada cannot be reimported to the US at

a much lower price to you.

[dflprincess]

30. I know

I should have used the sarcasm icon on my post. Strange how they tell us "reimporting" drugs from Canada may not be safe, but those generics made in a country that doesn't much worry about quality control for any product - no problem.

[slipslidingaway]

21. It is not just the importation, negotiating drug prices for all seniors...

was reported as being part of the deal.

We may have traded 220 billion for the 80 bilion deal.

:(

They ran ads in favor of HC reform

Senator Carper Publicly Defends Secret PhRMA Deal In Exchange For Support Ads
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/slipslidingaway/112

[slipslidingaway]

24. Video and text - Senator Carper talking about the deal with Pharma

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJa_kTXad1Q

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2009/09/23/carper-public-defends-secret-phrma-deal-in-exchange-for-support-ads/

""In a stunning moment during the Senate Finance Committee markup Sen. Tom Carper defended a secret deal that the White House, Baucus, and PhRMA had reached. The White House has long denied the deal. Carper publicly acknowledges that part of the deal was that PhRMA would run millions of dollars worth of campaign ads in support of health care reform.

...Carper was speaking in opposition to an amendment from Sen. Bill Nelson and Sen. Jay Rockefeller. The amendment mirrors what Henry Waxman did in the House to close the Medicare Part D doughnut hole by requiring drug manufactures to provide rebates for the overcharging of dual eligible Medicare/Medicaid recipients. In July, Debbie Halvorson and Heatlh Shuler authored a letter to Waxman signed by 70 Democrats, asking him a rewrite the bill to " substitute the President's proposal" for his own, which reflected the PhRMA deal.

PhRMA's board approved the $80 billion in price reductions on June 19.

On June 30, the Hill reported that PhRMA began running ads in the districts of vulnerable Democratic House freshmen."

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

25. Thanks for the info. I didn't know it was considered a secret deal

It has been discussed so much over the months I didn't know it was technically previously unconfirmed.

(Kind of like Israel having nukes, circa 1990.)

[slipslidingaway]

26. I guess the exact details are missing, but we can read the Obama HC plan...

which tells us what they said they will do, now we see what is being done.

We should just be negotiating our own prices ... it appears people do not want to discuss this deal.

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf

"...Allow consumers to import safe drugs from other countries. The second-fastest growing type of
health expenses is prescription drugs.29 Pharmaceutical companies should profit when their research and
development results in a groundbreaking new drug. But some companies are exploiting Americans by
dramatically overcharging U.S. consumers. These companies are selling the exact same drugs in Europe
and Canada but charging Americans a 67 percent premium.30 Barack Obama and Joe Biden will allow
Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are
lower outside the U.S.


"...Allow Medicare to negotiate for cheaper drug prices. The 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug
Improvement and Modernization Act bans the government from negotiating down the prices of
prescription drugs, even though the Department of Veterans Affairs’ negotiation of prescription drug
prices with drug companies has garnered significant savings for taxpayers.32

Barack Obama and Joe Biden will repeal the ban on direct negotiation with drug companies and use the resulting savings, which could be as high as $30 billion,33 to further invest in improving health care coverage and quality..."


Edit - And you're welcome, thanks for the thread.

:)