It seems they’re all coming out of the woodwork, demanding something in exchange for supporting the proposed health Care Reform bills. The drug companies are just the latest to announce that they “won’t be able to support” the bill unless it provides them with twelve years of exclusivity for expensive prescription drugs. (Since when do all of these Special Interest groups even have a say in the matter? Just sell your products as best you can on the open market!) In the final moments before the vote, at least one state was promised that the Federal Government would pay all the increases in Medicare costs for their state — forever — if their representative would vote in favor of the bill. Then, before that… oh, wait, that was the drug companies again.
Wasn’t it the drug companies who had just raised prices in anticipation of more windfall profits from all the newly insured? There was even an article in some big-city paper about it, and how it was the same way once before, when Medicare was expanded or somesuch. But isn’t it poor form to go back for seconds before everyone has had their first helpings?
Sure, companies are for-profit. Can’t very well blame them for trying to do what they’re built to do, can we? Then again, there’s another saying: “I don’t mind you making a profit, but do you have to make it all on me?!”
Or was that thirds? These same drug manufacturers are the ones lobbying against allowing people to buy their prescriptions from neighboring countries, as a way of curbing rising costs? In a time when something to calm queasy stomachs is $5 every 8 hours in generic or $18 for the brand name, it seems they should already be quite content as things stand.
When it comes down to it, this is a matter of Patient Safety. Insured or not, certain medications can just about bankrupt someone. Not to mention those who haven’t yet qualified for assistance yet. The process takes over a year for those newly diagnosed with diseases like M.S. In the meantime, kiss all of your life savings good-bye. No life savings? Bummer, no life-saving medication for you, then. Good luck with that!
It’s not uncommon to find hands out when there are hand-outs being given away like Halloween candy. No matter what, though, it’s bad form to be getting Thirds when most of us haven’t had Firsts yet. It’s also pretty poor morals to be gouging at a time when people can barely afford the prices as it is. We here at Medical Justice thought you should know whose pockets all that welfare reform money is going to line next … or again.
