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tags. Include a link to bypass the detection if you wish. Welcome to Hall Longevity Clinic
An oasis of healthcare waiting to be discovered
The American health care reform debate rages on in Washington and it seemed that the entire country had something to say. We saw town hall meetings erupt into bedlam with older folks and pensioners being man handled by thugs in black riot gear. Yes, we are upset and this topsy-turvy year in Washington brought one aspect of the reform package to light. Really what amounted to a pact with the devil, Senate members have approved and upheld the deal Democratic leaders cut earlier this year with the drug industry (PHARMA) to forgo some $80 billion in revenue over the next decade. To put the savings in perspective, $80 billion dollars shaved off ten years of drug company profits is like buying a new $ 80,000 Mercedes and getting $100 in “free” gas; it really doesn’t bring anyone savings, it’s just window dressing for a much larger and insidious problem.
An amendment that went before the Senate Finance Committee on September 24, 2009 that sought to undo the deal was voted down by 10 Republicans and three Democrats, including Max Baucus, the committee chairman. We know who controls this group, and it isn’t the American people, it’s PHARMA!
The amendment, introduced by Florida Dem Bill Nelson, would have lowered the rate Medicare pays for prescription drugs for seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Under the current system, the government pays for drugs for those patients at Medicare rates; under Nelson’s amendment, the government would have paid Medicaid rates, which are lower. That would have meant an $86 billion loss over 10 years for drug makers, according to Dow Jones Newswires.
But part of the deal the drug industry cut earlier this year with President Obama and other Democratic leaders was that further cuts wouldn’t be imposed on the industry. A huge financial mistake for the average American! Under that deal, which is included in Baucus’s bill, drug makers would subsidize a big chunk of the drug costs now borne by seniors when they hit the “donut hole,” a spending range where prescription drugs aren’t covered by Medicare.
What all this means, is that the Federal government and we, the American people will be powerless to control the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs for ten years and will have absolutely no power of creating a practical medication formulary (a list of safe and effective drugs used by doctors of all other first world countries including New Zealand) to help physicians and health practitioners use the best medication and the lowest price for their patients.
Again, the average American losses and the industry titans keep winning.
Stay tuned, let’s see what sort of deal the health insurance companies and hospitals get!
