Drug pricing is getting out of hand.

[Donald H]

Look, I don't care which side of the political spectrum you are on. Something has to be done about prescription drug prices. Half a trillion dollars last year was spent on prescription drugs. But today, checking on my insurance claims so far this year, I spotted the claim for my blood pressure medicine from CVS. It cost me nothing out of pocket. It cost the insurance company $23, that was the "negotiated discount" by the pharmacy benefit manager. Retail, $78. But hell, I could buy the same medication for seven dollars online, ten and have it auto refilled and sent to my doorstep every month WITH NO INSURANCE AND NO DISCOUNT CARD.

Many people complain about the manufacturers of those prescriptions. But look at CVS. Someone walks in with no insurance, no discount card and BAM they slam them with a 1000% higher price than the online drugstore. In any other market segment that would be clear and criminal price gouging. And that is bad, but yeah, you might attempt to argue that is what the person gets for not having insurance and not even downloading a discount card. But worse, who the hell is the PBM? What the hell kind of a "discount" did he "negotiate" when he is willing to pay $22 for a $7 medicine? Well let me tell you how this works. That $22 that the insurance paid, $14,50 went to CVS, and $7.50 went to the PBM working out of his home office in his boxer shorts. I know there is a special place in hell reserved just for him, a couple levels under Hitler.

Now here is the takeaway. The BBB act addressed this very problem. Those kickbacks to the PBM should be going to savings for the consumer, PERIOD. First of all, that means my insurance company would have had to pay no more than $14.50 for my prescription. But second, what kind of perverse incentive is working here. The PBM is not incentivized to work to decrease the cost of the drug. Hell, it is exactly the opposite. He wants to keep the price as high as he can over the true market clearing price in order to pad his fat ass wallet. Sinema and Manchin, well that addressing of the PBM kickbacks was the first thing they wanted eliminated from the BBB. I mean these people are absolute scoundrels with no morals whatsoever.

First of all appeal to the moderators to allow a decent discussion without the usual spamming. Then maybe a useful and helpful discussion can take place.
fwiw, I don't find your questions difficult at all.

 

[Concerned American]

You're on my ignore list along with Marvin and a few others. But you don't get the same luxury of being able to address me and not being reprimanded in return. (except when I choose)

I am just elated that you think that you are so important that you feel you have the ability to reprimand anyone on a message board. Run along duck. Everyone on here knows who and what you are. Commie.

 

[WinterBorn]

The entire American healthcare system is broken. The point is profits, not care provided.

A good friend of mine had his shoulder replaced. Orthopedic surgery, not open heart multiple organ transplants. One outpatient surgery and 4 weeks of physical therapy.

Luckily his medicare and his Part B covered all but $94. But the two bills he has received so far totalled almost $250,000.

BTW, our tax dollars are paying that quarter of a million for one patient for one procedure.

 

[WinterBorn]

Jeez people, what is the deal with all the hostility for someone voicing their opinion and talking about another country's healthcare system.

Their system makes you wait. Our system is the #1 cause of personal bankrupcy. Neither seems perfect. But to just slam someone for saying something positive about theirs?

Get a grip.

 

[Concerned American]

The entire American healthcare system is broken. The point is profits, not care provided.

A good friend of mine had his shoulder replaced. Orthopedic surgery, not open heart multiple organ transplants. One outpatient surgery and 4 weeks of physical therapy.

Luckily his medicare and his Part B covered all but $94. But the two bills he has received so far totalled almost $250,000.

BTW, our tax dollars are paying that quarter of a million for one patient for one procedure.

Medicare didn't pay 250K, they probably paid less than a quarter of that. Insurance companies negotiate those payments as well--in my case it worked out to about a third of what was billed.

 

[WinterBorn]

Medicare didn't pay 250K, they probably paid less than a quarter of that. Insurance companies negotiate those payments as well--in my case it worked out to about a third of what was billed.

That is exactly right.

So why is it that a guy selling a piece of plywood for $100 after a hurricane is a criminal, but the medical system gouging patients is just the way things work?

And ask a woman how her concerns or complaints are treated by doctors in our system? A pat on the hand and some pills and send them on their way.

 

[Concerned American]

So why is it that a guy selling a piece of plywood for $100 after a hurricane

Have you bought a sheet of plywood anywhere in the US over the past year? That's without a hurricane. We live in a capitalist society. If Store X is selling product Z for $10 and Store Y is selling product Z for $1, where are you going to buy. The power of the purse is yours to wield as you please. In the case, of hospital costs, the uninsured are hit with the full bill. It is not easy, I'll grant you that, but a tenacious uninsured can negotiate the price down to about the same as insurance companies pay and the hospital will write the remainder off of their taxes.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Look, I don't care which side of the political spectrum you are on. Something has to be done about prescription drug prices. Half a trillion dollars last year was spent on prescription drugs. But today, checking on my insurance claims so far this year, I spotted the claim for my blood pressure medicine from CVS. It cost me nothing out of pocket. It cost the insurance company $23, that was the "negotiated discount" by the pharmacy benefit manager. Retail, $78. But hell, I could buy the same medication for seven dollars online, ten and have it auto refilled and sent to my doorstep every month WITH NO INSURANCE AND NO DISCOUNT CARD.

Many people complain about the manufacturers of those prescriptions. But look at CVS. Someone walks in with no insurance, no discount card and BAM they slam them with a 1000% higher price than the online drugstore. In any other market segment that would be clear and criminal price gouging. And that is bad, but yeah, you might attempt to argue that is what the person gets for not having insurance and not even downloading a discount card. But worse, who the hell is the PBM? What the hell kind of a "discount" did he "negotiate" when he is willing to pay $22 for a $7 medicine? Well let me tell you how this works. That $22 that the insurance paid, $14,50 went to CVS, and $7.50 went to the PBM working out of his home office in his boxer shorts. I know there is a special place in hell reserved just for him, a couple levels under Hitler.

Now here is the takeaway. The BBB act addressed this very problem. Those kickbacks to the PBM should be going to savings for the consumer, PERIOD. First of all, that means my insurance company would have had to pay no more than $14.50 for my prescription. But second, what kind of perverse incentive is working here. The PBM is not incentivized to work to decrease the cost of the drug. Hell, it is exactly the opposite. He wants to keep the price as high as he can over the true market clearing price in order to pad his fat ass wallet. Sinema and Manchin, well that addressing of the PBM kickbacks was the first thing they wanted eliminated from the BBB. I mean these people are absolute scoundrels with no morals whatsoever.

Every item/drug on a prescription in UK is £9.35, and we pay less than half in tax to the NHS per month than you guys spend on private health insurance premiums.

 

[Winston]

Are they privately run hospitals?
None of that happens in Canada but I won't contribute further with an explanation until I'm asked.

I have seen it both public and private hospitals. Canada mandates that no prescription drug in Canada can cost less than the worldwide average price for that drug. Seems fair to me. It is insulting that US drug manufacturers sell prescription drugs in foreign countries cheaper than here.

 

[Winston]

First step is stop voting for people like Joe Biden, who removed the price controls on insulin on his very first day in office.

Sucker, Trump's directive never went into effect. So Biden didn't remove shit and merely postponed it. Seriously, find some real news sites and stay away from Redstate and Pajama media.

Fact-check: Is Biden raising prices of insulin and Epi-Pens on the uninsured?

 

[Winston]

Linkie, duck.

Best Healthcare in the World 2024

worldpopulationreview.com

The US comes in at 18. So much for being the greatest country in the world. That shipped sailed a long time ago. Hell, half the surgeons weren't even born here.

 

[Winston]

, I'll grant you that, but a tenacious uninsured can negotiate the price down to about the same as insurance companies pay and the hospital will write the remainder off of their taxes.

And there again, it is the American taxpayer paying for that writeoff. Take your own example. A third, right, is that not what you said. So, at a $250,000 the negotiated discount would be like 80 grand. If the patient would have had insurance the hospital would have gotten 80 grand. But if the patient didn't have insurance, and paid nothing, the flippin damn hospital writes off 250 grand. That make sense to you? And if it doesn't, can you say Obamacare and mandate?

Hell, maybe worse, the uninsured negotiates as you suggest, and pays the eighty grand, and the fawking hospital still writes off 160 grand. HORSESHIT.

 

[Concerned American]

And there again, it is the American taxpayer paying for that writeoff. Take your own example. A third, right, is that not what you said. So, at a $250,000 the negotiated discount would be like 80 grand. If the patient would have had insurance the hospital would have gotten 80 grand. But if the patient didn't have insurance, and paid nothing, the flippin damn hospital writes off 250 grand. That make sense to you? And if it doesn't, can you say Obamacare and mandate?

Hell, maybe worse, the uninsured negotiates as you suggest, and pays the eighty grand, and the Dfawking hospital still writes off 160 grand. HORSESHIT.

Do you write off capital losses?

 

[fncceo]

Something has to be done about prescription drug prices.

Just say, NO!

 

[Thoth001]

My first question would be, why do you use big pharma in the first place?

 

[fncceo]

So why is it that a guy selling a piece of plywood for $100 after a hurricane is a criminal

Why would he be a criminal? If you don't want the plywood, don't buy it.

 

[Thoth001]

I've gotten the run down on Canadian health care from people that provided it. I received a cardiac bypass in the US and from diagnosis to repairs was three days. I had three nurses from BC providing care. I asked them if it was true that I would receive that care "for free" in Canada and they answered in the affirmative with a caveat that I would have probably waited three months before the repair was made. That's good enough for me.

The problem is big pharma that has invaded most countries. I suggest looking into entities that are not connect to big pharma to heal you or those. You may have to learn for yourself, but big pharma don't make money off of healthy people. That is common sense.

 

[Thoth001]

Think about this, as soon as you are born you are injected with big pharma drugs, then you are taught about germ theory. How could you see any other way? People are here for you to break that pattern if you see it.

 

[Colin norris]

Look, I don't care which side of the political spectrum you are on. Something has to be done about prescription drug prices. Half a trillion dollars last year was spent on prescription drugs. But today, checking on my insurance claims so far this year, I spotted the claim for my blood pressure medicine from CVS. It cost me nothing out of pocket. It cost the insurance company $23, that was the "negotiated discount" by the pharmacy benefit manager. Retail, $78. But hell, I could buy the same medication for seven dollars online, ten and have it auto refilled and sent to my doorstep every month WITH NO INSURANCE AND NO DISCOUNT CARD.

Many people complain about the manufacturers of those prescriptions. But look at CVS. Someone walks in with no insurance, no discount card and BAM they slam them with a 1000% higher price than the online drugstore. In any other market segment that would be clear and criminal price gouging. And that is bad, but yeah, you might attempt to argue that is what the person gets for not having insurance and not even downloading a discount card. But worse, who the hell is the PBM? What the hell kind of a "discount" did he "negotiate" when he is willing to pay $22 for a $7 medicine? Well let me tell you how this works. That $22 that the insurance paid, $14,50 went to CVS, and $7.50 went to the PBM working out of his home office in his boxer shorts. I know there is a special place in hell reserved just for him, a couple levels under Hitler.

Now here is the takeaway. The BBB act addressed this very problem. Those kickbacks to the PBM should be going to savings for the consumer, PERIOD. First of all, that means my insurance company would have had to pay no more than $14.50 for my prescription. But second, what kind of perverse incentive is working here. The PBM is not incentivized to work to decrease the cost of the drug. Hell, it is exactly the opposite. He wants to keep the price as high as he can over the true market clearing price in order to pad his fat ass wallet. Sinema and Manchin, well that addressing of the PBM kickbacks was the first thing they wanted eliminated from the BBB. I mean these people are absolute scoundrels with no morals whatsoever.

Ha e you guys ever thought if having a national medicare health scheme? Of course not because that sounds like creeping socialism and we don't want those commies running the show do we?
YOU stay with your private health. Let big pharma rip the guts out of you idiots. You never learn.

 

[fncceo]

YOU stay with your private health.

I have.