When I first heard about the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, I railed against it because I knew what could happen to older Americans. You see, the plan was touted as providing benefits to millions of Americans who did not have prescription coverage. This would have been a good thing if many Republicans had not been playing cynical games with the health and well-being of older Americans.

What do I mean? Well, let’s look into what the Republican leadership didn’t tell. They didn’t say that:

• this bill was written by lobbyist representing pharmaceutical companies.
• it will cost taxpayers over $500 billion.
• this bill made it illegal for the government to negotiate cheaper drug price on behalf of plan participants, many of whom are on fixed incomes.
• this bill makes it illegal for participants to get cheaper drugs from Canada, insuring that the drug companies have a captive market.

The part that I rant on the most is the part where prices can’t be negotiated. Imagine, if you will, a corporation the size of Wal-Mart being told that it would be illegal for them to negotiate lower prices for the goods they buy. Basic business sense says that, if you have greater buying power, you should have the leverage to negotiate the best price possible. However, because the lobbying firms for “Big Pharma” were lining the pockets of D.C. politicians (and even some in the leader ship of the America Association of Retired Persons, or AARP), they were allowed to screw older Americans in an almost unprecedented manner.

60 Minutes aired a segment on how this bill came to be and the circumstances under which it was voted into being (thanks to crooksandliars.com for the video). It is a must-see, particularly for those with older relatives who want to know why their prescription costs have increased and why their plans are so confusing.

 

 How the lobbyists wrote the Prescription Bill: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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