At what point will Democrats realize that the pledge to force government to negotiate directly with drug AND biotech companies will rob seniors of their choice of medicines and re-run of Hillarycare when biotech stocks lost 40 percent of their market value?
Interesting how the media is already laying the groundwork for this angle as this series of quotes suggest:
"From a rhetorical perspective, Democrats may feel like they gain a lot with this issue, but there are many substantive hurdles that the government faces in trying to negotiate prices. … If you look historically at the government's experience in trying to regulate prices, it's poor." (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, "On Drug Prices, Are Democrats In A Fix?" Los Angeles Times, 11/26/06)
Marilyn Moon, Health Program Director, The American Institutes For Research: Negotiating Drug Prices Is "A Feel-Good Kind Of Answer, But It's Not One That Is Easy To Imagine How You Put Into Practice." (Lori Montgomery and Christopher Lee, "Success Of Drug Plan Challenges Democrats," The Washington Post, 11/26/06)
The Wall Street Journal: "It Isn't Clear That A Government-Run Drug Insurance Plan Would Push Prices Down." "Private plans often rely on pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, to obtain rebates and discounts with manufacturers and contain costs. But Medicare has traditionally been a fee-for-service program, without much experience in price negotiation." (Jane Zhang, "Why Medicare Drugs May Be Sticking Point," The Wall Street Journal, 11/24/06)
"Leslie Norwalk, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the agency that manages Medicare, says she doubts Medicare would do a better job than private insurers in negotiating drug prices. Indeed, the agency probably would contract with PBMs to do the work. 'They are doing that already,' she said at a recent meeting with The Wall Street Journal." (Jane Zhang, "Why Medicare Drugs May Be Sticking Point," The Wall Street Journal, 11/24/06)
Urban Institute President Robert D. Reischauer: "At Some Point You Have To Ask: What Are We Looking For Here?" "Initially, he said, people were worried no private plans would participate. 'Then too many plans came forward,' Reischauer said. 'Then people said it's going to cost a fortune. And the price came in lower than anybody thought. Then people like me said they're low-balling the prices the first year and they'll jack up the rates down the line. And, lo and behold, the prices fell again. And the reaction was, "We've got to have the government negotiate lower prices." At some point you have to ask: What are we looking for here?'" (Lori Montgomery and Christopher Lee, "Success Of Drug Plan Challenges Democrats," The Washington Post, 11/26/06)
"The cost of the program has been lower than expected, about $26 billion in 2006, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The cost was projected to rise to $45 billion next year, but Medicare has received new bids indicating that its average per-person subsidy could drop by 15 percent in 2007, to $79.90 a month." (Lori Montgomery and Christopher Lee, "Success Of Drug Plan Challenges Democrats," The Washington Post, 11/26/06)
Polls Show More Than 80 Percent Of Medicare Drug Plan Participants Are Satisfied. "Polls indicate that more than 80 percent of enrollees are satisfied, even though nearly half chose plans with no coverage in the doughnut hole, a gap that opens when a senior's drug costs reach $2,250 and closes when out-of-pocket expenses reach $3,600." (Lori Montgomery and Christopher Lee, "Success Of Drug Plan Challenges Democrats," The Washington Post, 11/26/06)
Interesting how the media is already laying the groundwork for this angle as this series of quotes suggest:
"From a rhetorical perspective, Democrats may feel like they gain a lot with this issue, but there are many substantive hurdles that the government faces in trying to negotiate prices. … If you look historically at the government's experience in trying to regulate prices, it's poor." (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, "On Drug Prices, Are Democrats In A Fix?" Los Angeles Times, 11/26/06)
Marilyn Moon, Health Program Director, The American Institutes For Research: Negotiating Drug Prices Is "A Feel-Good Kind Of Answer, But It's Not One That Is Easy To Imagine How You Put Into Practice." (Lori Montgomery and Christopher Lee, "Success Of Drug Plan Challenges Democrats," The Washington Post, 11/26/06)
The Wall Street Journal: "It Isn't Clear That A Government-Run Drug Insurance Plan Would Push Prices Down." "Private plans often rely on pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, to obtain rebates and discounts with manufacturers and contain costs. But Medicare has traditionally been a fee-for-service program, without much experience in price negotiation." (Jane Zhang, "Why Medicare Drugs May Be Sticking Point," The Wall Street Journal, 11/24/06)
"Leslie Norwalk, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the agency that manages Medicare, says she doubts Medicare would do a better job than private insurers in negotiating drug prices. Indeed, the agency probably would contract with PBMs to do the work. 'They are doing that already,' she said at a recent meeting with The Wall Street Journal." (Jane Zhang, "Why Medicare Drugs May Be Sticking Point," The Wall Street Journal, 11/24/06)
Urban Institute President Robert D. Reischauer: "At Some Point You Have To Ask: What Are We Looking For Here?" "Initially, he said, people were worried no private plans would participate. 'Then too many plans came forward,' Reischauer said. 'Then people said it's going to cost a fortune. And the price came in lower than anybody thought. Then people like me said they're low-balling the prices the first year and they'll jack up the rates down the line. And, lo and behold, the prices fell again. And the reaction was, "We've got to have the government negotiate lower prices." At some point you have to ask: What are we looking for here?'" (Lori Montgomery and Christopher Lee, "Success Of Drug Plan Challenges Democrats," The Washington Post, 11/26/06)
"The cost of the program has been lower than expected, about $26 billion in 2006, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The cost was projected to rise to $45 billion next year, but Medicare has received new bids indicating that its average per-person subsidy could drop by 15 percent in 2007, to $79.90 a month." (Lori Montgomery and Christopher Lee, "Success Of Drug Plan Challenges Democrats," The Washington Post, 11/26/06)
Polls Show More Than 80 Percent Of Medicare Drug Plan Participants Are Satisfied. "Polls indicate that more than 80 percent of enrollees are satisfied, even though nearly half chose plans with no coverage in the doughnut hole, a gap that opens when a senior's drug costs reach $2,250 and closes when out-of-pocket expenses reach $3,600." (Lori Montgomery and Christopher Lee, "Success Of Drug Plan Challenges Democrats," The Washington Post, 11/26/06)
