Comment by lotsofpulp
7 hours ago
Correct, people should be asking their federal politician why the US federal government is not spending the few billion dollars on drug trials to avoid having to pay extra to pharmaceutical companies.
But instead, people rail at health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies and others who can’t or won’t make a difference.
> But instead, people rail at health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies and others who can’t or won’t make a difference.
Because this is the Corrupt Evil Nexus that continues to ensure that taxpayer funds and exclusive patents keep flowing to them, while keeping prices high. They buy political power via campaign financing by the bucketload and the congressman/woman changes their vote to kill/oppose bills that would make a difference. You can find dozens of examples. Do your own research. As an example, take a look at the voting for the bill to permit Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Look at who received bribes and from whom to vote "No".
Which bill are you referring to? The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act passed with a provision allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
(Although it is, of course, true that having special drug rates for Medicare trends against rather than towards "clear and consistent pricing".)
I am talking about the "Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2021", then "Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act", then "Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act". They all had MUCH stronger drug-pricing proposals, all got stalled shamefully, with a watered-down version in BBB, which was further diluted in IRA that big pharma laughed at and accepted.
More specifically, the stronger acts which were killed by Big Pharma bribes would have
- Tied U.S. prices to international reference pricing (e.g., prices paid in Europe)
- Broad Medicare negotiation for many high-cost drugs - including dozens of new drugs.
- Applied negotiated prices beyond Medicare in the commercial market. (Private Insurance too!)
- Imposed strong penalties on drug companies that refused to comply
- Generated large federal savings. Also would have had faster rollout. Remember IRA pricing is YET to come into effect.
PS: Look at the Senators who diluted drug-pricing in BBB even further to a bad JOKE. (lol at price reduction for 10 drugs in 2026). Look at whom they received bribes oops..donations from.