Did I miss something?

[editec]

With all the talk of reducing the federal budget, it seems to me that a really good way the the government could save a few billion $$ is by requiring that Medicare recipients pay a bulk discount price for pharmacueticals. The government could save a lot in medicare payments.

This issue seems to have fallen by the wayside. Last I heard Obama had made a deal with the devil and given in to the pharmacuetical companies in order to get their support for healthcare reform.

Maybe I missed something....

I seems to me that conservatives should whole heartedly agree that a basic principal of free market economics is that when you purchase something in bulk you should get it at a discounted rate.

Why hasn't this issue been resurrected in these budget talks?

Because it was a 'Liberal' cause?

The masters are all devotees of pure capitalism until it isn't convenient for THEM.

The very last thing in the world they want is the government to start acting like a thinking consumer.

A thinking consumer government price shops.

A captured government buys what it's told to buy

 

[Seawytch]

And we are never going to see reforms to the drug companies and things like bulk purchasing as long as we the people allow Big Pharma to buy politicians.

 

[uscitizen]

And we are never going to see reforms to the drug companies and things like bulk purchasing as long as we the people allow Big Pharma to buy politicians.

Politicians are not bought by any one corp. they are rented for each vote. More money comes in that way.

 

[Wiseacre]

do you really think that PHARMA would just throw up their hands and walk away? just fold up the business, not do further research, because they had to negotiate bulk discounts with us, LIKE THEY DO for EVERY other Nation and country in the world?

-first, our tax dollars FUNDS a portion of their research and development expense

-second, ALL COUNTRIES pays MUCH LESS than we do, here in the USA, yet we fund the research....

ALL Pharma has to do, is raise the rates for ALL other nations SLIGHTLY, while lower our rates to accommodate a bulk discount rate.

AND the true point, is that in a free market exchange, the gvt DOES NOT come in and give ''special protection'' to a private business by dictating who a private entity can negotiate with.....which is what the pill bill did.

ALSO, trust me....PHARMA is a multi billion dollar industry, they would NEVER, EVER just give up, or stop looking for the next new 'pill' that would make them money.

and, in key cases, PHARMA has EXTENDED their patents to last 10 years....

i know that's a mouth full to absorb.....but they are very key points, and i believe that our gvt should not stop any bulk rate negotiations as they have done, and such actions are fascist.

I think big pharma would pull the plug a lot sooner on R&D for some drugs, especially if the prospects for profit and not so great. Maybe they wouldn't pull up stakes and go offshore, but maybe they'd scale back somewhat and outsource more. Don't know about the pill bill, but I wouldn't support special protection or preventing any negotiations.

If memory serves, Big Pharma is very profitable, and imo they will not give away any business to their competitor....if the drug they are creating is worthy, they will continue to develop it, whether they bulk discount the bulk orders for Medicare purchases or not.

come onnnnnnn Wise one.....every single retailer out there GIVES BULK DISCOUNTS for BULK PURCHASES. For congress to write a law, preventing a retail operation from giving a bulk discount to those who make bulk purchases, IS FASCISM, and unconstitutional imo.

PHARMA BENEFITS greatly from OUR TAXES....they have a business that is near purely funded by our government through Medicare.

They have a guaranteed income flow through Medicare, our tax dollars....their RISKS are minimal compared to other businesses that do not have the government tit feeding them.

The pharma industry is one of if not THE most profitable one here in the US. From what I read, they already give a bulk discount to the VA, must've been some serious lobbying going on to preclude the same for Medicare. And both sides did it, Bush for support for his legislation and Obama to support his ACA. I do not like gov't interference, particularly this interference that drives up the cost of HC. This is hypocrisy of the 1st order.

As to foreign prices, it's hard to believe the pharma companies aren't already wiring every last dollar they can out of foreign sales. But whatever they do in that regard should really be immaterial, our gov't should require the bulk priciing negotiations as you said. Hate it when I'm wrong.

Don't know much about our tax dollars paying for R&D in the pharma area. I'll look into it later, but if true I ain't too thrilled with that either.

 

[Seawytch]

And we are never going to see reforms to the drug companies and things like bulk purchasing as long as we the people allow Big Pharma to buy politicians.

Politicians are not bought by any one corp. they are rented for each vote. More money comes in that way.

Same whore, different dress. As long as it is Big Corps and special interests that are paying our legislators salaries and not the people they are supposed to represent, we the people will continue to get screwed by the 21st century robber barons.