ta daaaaa......once again, we are the ONLY country not negotiating pharmaceutical drug prices......nutso. That you for addressing this, President Biden. You and your team are the real deal.....not a game show.
While the US market is free, sometimes it doesn't hurt to introduce a little bit of socialism in health sector. It is working else. It is working even in developing countries to cushion off the society from high medical expenses znd enable them access their basic rights of healthcare which translates into life.
The quest by President Biden to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies over the drugs is the right step at the moment. The costs spent on drugs every year per capita is burgeoning towards $2000 per person, but in developing countries, this figure is even less than $500 because governments have chosen to adopt the single-payer system. If Biden succeeds in negotiations and revise the medicare provision that banned direct involvement of the government in price regulation, pharmaceutical companies wouldn't raise their prices anyhow. The costs of accessing healthcare services will be reduced drastically because of regulated pricing. It will also reduce the affinity for health providers to prescribe expensive drugs in their quest to gain more profits because of lack of comparative resrarch. Also, drug patent and exclusivity has made it hard for generic companies to compete because of court action. Thus, pharmaceutical companies have been playing a monopoly role in the drug industry. The results? High prices and skyrocketing general expenses.
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It isn’t socialism. The government isn’t going to run the pharmaceutical industry. Capitalism needs governmental control or else it turns into what we have, monopolies and price gouging. Biden is running a government for the people. The opposition is pushing for crazy, violence, and corruption. Those are our choices. HCR helps keep the focus on what Biden is doing. We have to keep spreading the message.
Oldandintheway, a description of what has been happening in the US would include the Republican Party's and its members' positions as strongly favoring the wealthy and big business in the US, but let us not be too vague in our knowledge. Business is an essential part of our country's functioning. It is important to know as citizens how the Republican Party's, its members', the Democrats', the Democratic Party's as well as the Administration's policies/regulations/control/influence/support concerning the following:
In the United States, the Small Business Administration (SBA) classifies businesses into three categories:
Small-sized business: annual revenue of less than $38.5 million and no more than 1,500 employees.
Medium-sized businesses: annual revenues between $38.5 million and $1 billion and 1,500 to 2,000 employees.
Large-sized business: over $1 billion in revenue and over 2,000 employees.
What about regulation of social media?
Yes, HCR, reports on the work of Biden and his administration in terms of how they together are impacting the lives of Americans as well as the country's foreign policies, trade, etc. She is not, however, a spokesperson for President Biden. With that in mind, we need to know more about how President Biden, John Kerry (US Envoy for Climate), and the political parties are addressing Climate Change.
What is more important concerning our lives on earth?
Good points Fern. Both parties need to keep firmly in mind that none of the talking points or positive actions will mean anything if we can't breathe the air, drink the water or grow food. The ongoing environmental degradation has got to stop and one step in that direction will be ending subsidies for the oil and gas industry and the agricultural conglomerates that generate much of the pollution either directly or through the use of their products.
Yes, DAVE! Our job as citizens is to get the government to work for us. We lobby on behalf of the needs of the American people. Some would have us be Biden's lobby, but that it not our role.
Administrations work better with our input, our votes and our voices, which will question what has been wrongly, poorly or not addressed at all as we strongly support good leadership for We the People of the United States.
I called it socialism because it can really work well in a healthcare sector that deals with human life. Socialism often roots for equality in terms of pricing and access to high quality drugs. This will limit exploitation from the pharmaceutical companies and make sure drugs are accessible cheaply. Cuba has done it before and their healthcare costs is so low.
Practically every developed country in the world "fetters" capitalism when it comes to the cost of drugs.
Only the US has allowed the pharmaceutical to run up prices with no restraints, while spending more as a % of profit on marketing, executives, and shareholders. Insulin is the best possible example of their greed.
Those who wait for demand and supply to balance in the healthcare industry and expect a reduction in prices will just get the opposite. New methods in healthcare are required.
For-profit hospitals receive tax breaks for uncollectible treatment...non-profit hospitals receive tax benefits for being non-profit. Who do you think actually ends up paying for overpriced health care...tax payers. Socialism has become a dirty word for one reason...the republicans can use it to create fear. We are way beyond capitalism...it's greedism. And it doesn't trickle down.
Back in 1976, Fred Harris ran for the Democratic presidential nomination on a platform called the New Populism—the old populism shorn of its racist elements. Fred used to say, “They talk about the free market. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had one?”
Correct. The Pharma profitability model changes frequently over time and thus requires tweaking by a worthless Congress. As it turns out, Biden has the public's back at the moment. Rember the close call of the ACA in the Senate?
This isn't socialism. It's public regulation of capitalism, which is necessary to keep the meat grinder of unregulated capitalism from chewing up our society.
Other than that, I agree with you completely--it's long past time for us to regulate these price-gougers.
I am a retired MD and have had a lot of experience prescribing and using many medications. I take a number of meds myself. My biggest gripe is that the drug companies continue to charge high fees for many drugs that have been generic for over 25 years. And the newer ones are continuing to be priced high, despite their aging in to the generic phase. I have to spend over $3000. A year for my meds. I totally agree with Biden policies on drugs. It can not happen fast enough, in my opinion
I am respectfully requesting that neither Commenters nor Authors post advertisements. Just take a look at HCR's practice, citations, source credits, author ID's, hat tips are all GOOD. That is one of the ways HCR's Community has grown to over 1 Million Subscribers. Thank you all.
Why do you want everyone to think the same way and never disagree? Trolls are annoying indeed, but conflicting opinions are the lifeblood of commentary. If you don't like conflict, just ignore people who challenge you, but don't expect much in the way of discussion, either.
Bryan, for the subscribers who advertise their product, along with commenting, also jump the line to be among the first on the forum and then take a long bite of it is not a 'fair' practice,
I concur FERN. FYI, I have grown tired of the One-wa- or-the-Highway communications with Substack Inc as the Platform continues to be peppered by "trolling" that targets a number of specific Paid Subscribers & Authors.
So I scrutinized the 8/17/21 Substack "Terms of Use" (TOU) early this morning to facilitate more direct communications with Substack Inc, the Delaware Corp.
The more "direct route" is tos@substackinc.com. That was "tos" not "tou" as to the first three (3) letters. Regards to targeted Authors & Paid Subscribers
Ah, HCR. Again covering the happening that will become pieces in our historical record (and worthy of future analysis) rather than just the story of the day. Almost as if the dear doctor is providing a roadmap for students of her students who will provide the understand their children's children will need to live in and lead America's democracy as it became in their times. So clever, you historian you. 🌞
How do you spell relief? BIDEN. Student debt relief. Pharmaceutical relief and so much more. Go, Joe, go. You and your Administration are working for us. No wonder the paid-by-billionaires-media won’t put you on page one.
Interesting that ReT****plicans don't conceder subsidies for Big Oil or Big Pharma as "socialism" but anything that helps the common people is called out as such. Such a bunch of hipocrites!!
Somebody please help me understand--we have these two old white guys, one works night and day to up manufacturing here in the US, lower inflation, and fight for people low on the totem pole while the other one cheats, steals, and could not give one little turd for any of this but for his big fat butt. Yet, there are a slew of poor republican diabetics whose medication has just been lowered that will worship him to the grave. What gives me some sense of relief, whether or not it comes true, is imagining that that butt will find itself on a stinky toilet in a bedbug infested jail cell....
Can't you hear the bleating Republicans: "It's socialism, I tell you! How dare Biden handcuff our great free market system."
And then later they'll beat their chests and claim they voted to deliver significantly lower drug prices, probably standing on a new multi-lane bridge that they had already taken taken credit for despite voting against the infrastructure package.
Rinse and repeat. But how much of the electorate knows what Biden and Democrats have accomplished for every American? Not nearly enough.
Mega corporations 'love' socialism, such as > "And many blockbuster drugs rely on scientific discoveries from research funded by taxpayers, while drug companies’ R&D spending often focuses on minor changes to extend patent protection and block lower-priced competitors.” Highlights another of my conclusions regarding 'free market' propaganda in nearly every sector of the U.S. economy as it stands. Look who took over most all retail.... Amazon, and wrecked how many countless brick and mortar store chains.
I just canceled my Amazon Prime this week, after reading about the drivers' lawsuit against them. I'm done.
"Defendants' delivery drivers do not have time to take rest breaks because their routes are very busy, often requiring delivery of 200 to 300 packages per day," the lawsuit says, adding that drivers are pressured "to deliver a high volume of packages in as little time as possible."
"Consequently, drivers must resort to urinating in bottles or cans in their delivery vans or relieving themselves along the side of the road or in wooded areas," per the claim.
The drivers also allege that Amazon and its delivery contractors are failing to pay drivers properly for work they perform before and after their shifts, such as conducting safety checks and driving delivery vans back to where they are stored.
Good. We never buy from Amazon unless it is a last resort. We shop locally as mush as we can and buy as little as possible. We buy our books from Powell's, our very good local bookstore in Portland. I note in a post below that Amazon has us cornered and many ways that is true, unfortunately.
For sure I try to buy locally and did and it cost $170 for what I wanted but my business partner was able to find the same for $75 so I have to return what I bought. Gouging at corporate level and how does Amazon do it? Cheaper stuff and don't pay wharehouse workers well nor drivers?
I understand that not everyone can afford to buy locally. Amazon means to put everyone out of business. It fries me that many fund raisers, instead of supporting local businesses, have a connect to Amazon. I refuse to play that game. What I also see is many, many people lamenting the loss of a vibrant downtown with all the great locally owned stores. Well, first they went to Walmart and now Amazon. We have a huge Amazon warehouse here in Salem....no Whole Foods and we grocery shop at the local natural foods store. I have an ex-student who is an author and she loathes Amazon. An ex-classmate of mine figured out how to download books on her device for free and then wanted to know what I thought. Well, I noted, you are not stealing from Amazon, but from the authors I also have a friend with limited mobility and she uses Amazon and I understand that too. I think they work their warehouse workers to death and also the drivers. Lots of stuff made overseas is cheap and doesn't last. I once bought a hod which I thought would be great for harvesting vegetables. It fell apart before the year was out, so I am careful what I buy. I don't know what will happen now that the Chinese economy is having trouble.
PS- Trump threatened Jeff Bezos because of his politics. This was yet another instance of Trump using our government for his own personal political needs and vengeance in this case. Bezos did him one better with all these Amazon trucks.
Jeff- you are shooting yourself in the foot to no avail either. You are going to find what you need how? And pay the shipping costs and endure the wait time if it's urgent? Pay for the gas? Better that these drivers strike or have a lawsuit and publicity and get some satisfaction. They need their jobs too.
PS- do you remember when Trump, the POTUS, threatened to raise rates for Amazon when it was using the US Post Service?(as if he could have, I don't know). That is when all these Amazon trucks appeared... and look at who is driving them: folks who appreciate their jobs.
You should talk to some of those "folks who appreciate their jobs." I have. I did because they kept throwing packages under the bushes at the foot of my driveway. Medicine. Electronics. Discovered after a rainstorm; destroyed.
The two drivers that I spoke to were each young and very scared of losing their jobs. They said they had been told to drop the package as fast as possible and leave. No doorbell; nothing. Or they might not make their quota, and there were plenty more waiting to get their job.
We have not had that experience. Always nice drivers. But a Fed Ex delivery person left a food package in the rain at the foot of my driveway. UPS has at times done the same. You remind me to complain. And you should.
It sounds like what you are experiencing is protest, or passive resistance.This is why the protest is louder now. The person who told them to do what they did is to blame ( as well)..
If you care about solving the problem you need to be active and not think that complaining generally and here is going to fix the problem. People are people... as you know.
Now that practically all the mom and pops are gone and even the big boxes have consolidated, can you find everything you need? How much time and gas do you or will you spend going around looking and shopping? Is there someone on your shoulder giving you reviews.. (or maybe you whip out your cell phone for that) and returns?
What about when the weather is prohibitive for going out, or you are sick?
Amazon has us cornered... especially now with Whole Foods...
I buy regularly on Amazon after boycotting for years. I do not pay for Prime service. It takes a couple minutes more to find free shipping and the products may take a couple days to arrive. I hate Amazon and also like you say - why shoot yourself in the foot?
I am also willing to pay a bit more to shop local bc this is important to me.
You have a good point, Potter. I have a love/hate relationships with Amazon. I was very glad for their deliveries during the pandemic. I have also found that when I go to actual brick and mortar stores, often they have greatly reduced their inventory. It's impossible to make a purchase of an item that isn't there.
No pun intended, but my PRIMARY reason for Amazon Prime is for the access to the tv/movies. I do shop for goods as well, so the free shipping more than makes up for it.
Amazon is just another head of the capitalism beast. There are thousands of merchants signed on to Amazon because it's harder than hell to keep a small business alive otherwise. When I buy from Amazon I'm not driving my fossil fueled motor vehicle to go shopping (and in rural areas, Amazon is a godsend for people who live far from stores and malls), I'm not using up my time searching for stuff, and the prices usually are less. I don't feel guilty shopping at Amazon. I am not the one supporting an economic system of which Amazon is only a part. Next time you get on a plane, think about where your money is going. And remember how you all whined about high gas prices, and nobody wanted to cut down on their driving, car pool, or shut down early to save electricity, but everyone though it would be cool if Biden gave the green light to drill, baby, drill.
Yay, Jeff! I refuse to buy anything from Amazon and I have never had an Amazon Prime account. Don't you love how even the local news (ours, anyway) advertises "Prime Day," as if it's newsworthy or a real holiday?! Amazon is just a massive monopoly.
Sorry, Potter, thankfully not ALL of the mom and pops are gone, and there ARE alternatives to buying from that massive monopoly.
Bret, also let's remind ourselves of the painful results of the past big ice storm in Texas. The privatized system could not produce enough power to protect Texas citizens ....people died...Cruz took his family to Mexico.
I think we should always be allowed the freedom to choose...but in the end.....we need one another. If an essential company is privatized, it should make sure it follows all safety rules and standards and checks itself regularly. Character is required!!!!
Just as the gigantic hurricane is hurling it's strength towards the Florida coast.....it's people and property.....we will come together as a country to help one another.
Joe, have long thought that, especially in northern CA with PG&E’s culpability for several devastating fires by not doing the necessary “housekeeping” to keep power lines from sparking fires in rural areas. What is scary to me is the push to “privatize” (read: monetize) even gov’t programs such as SS & MediCare just to name two.
But the free market system was already handcuffed by medications not really being free market here. They are protected. If medicare gets to set rates because it is the largest customer that is free market.
"Free market system" is propaganda, so is the "magic hand of supply and demand", and it has been for decades. None of that hogwash works in the era of monopolies and facts hidden. Facts publishable, such as who contributes how much to whom - all information that would sway elections if not for the protection afforded by "Citizens United," courtesy of the SCrOTOS - oops, although unintentional, I'm not going to edit and correct that. lol. That is the most pressing problem we have - ie., too much is hidden, and as the special counsel made clear, candidates with 'free speech' are allowed, and do LIE. They couldn't do that in the if said campaign donations were open to public scrutiny - but alas, it's not. What a nitwit SCOTUS decision was that ? A kindergartener could have done a more logical job: Neither corporations, Unions, or any organization of more than one human can pull a voting lever, mark a ballot, etc. MONEY is Not free speech, it's a purchasable megaphone, a taller soapbox, etc. Money cannot cast a ballot. (speech and my position rest, lol) Think about it.
According to SCOTUS, corporations uniquely merit a citizen's rights but not responsibilities. Obama's AG theorized that:
"it remains true that, at some institutions that engaged in inappropriate conduct before, and may yet again, the buck still stops nowhere. Responsibility remains so diffuse, and top executives so insulated, that any misconduct could again be considered more a symptom of the institution’s culture than a result of the willful actions of any single individual." - Eric Holder
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of corporate charters?
The whole reason people kncorporate is to avoid personal responsibility in the event of a law suit. Can preserve personal property. Corporation is protection.
Well, theoretically. My wife, a highly skilled educator for the blind incorporated to do consulting work after she retired (and got more than she knew what to do with). That seems fair to me. Few people would invest in company were it a black hole for their nestegg if it failed. All makes sense; but due to the corruption of money, the power of incorporation has been expanded far beyond it's service to society, as have patents. Bribery and treason are the two crimes the Constitution spells out that disqualify all civil Officers of the United States, yet de facto bribery has been declared legal and law since Reagan displays a notable shift toward raising corporate agendas above the public's interests. The daily news reports this on a regular basis, but ignores the alarm.
Yes; and 'if' they (corp.) are 'persons', they are far "more equal" than you or I, in fact any 'real' person. Which is exactly 'why' many white folks are mistakenly aggrieved about civil rights, and womens rights for that matter - it's been promoted (falsely), that all 'those' folks only desire to be 'more equal' than you ! Rumble that one around in your well educated brain my esteemed friend.
My point was really that SCOTUS designated corporations have the right to "free speech" just las if they were an individual person
BUT the only reason corporations exist is to help the individual avoid the pitfalls of being legally an "individual person" and liable as an individual
It's BS, no matter who came up with it JL. Think it through ... It holds 'no water' when put to many tests of 'personhood' that does cast a ballot. Hogwash !
The form of business license that a corporation is does not breathe, and need not die. The collection of people who hold that license do, but are people, presumably with the same rights and responsibilities as anyone else, no more, no less, other than protect their personal fortunes from the debts of the business. They are still the ones that animate what is done under the corporate banner, like a driver steers the path of a car. Corporations don't kill people, people do.
Yes Graham. And that is why the CEO is normally also Chairman of the Board whose members (s)he selects. That is corporate accountability - a fairy tail.
I have dual citizenship, but not to avoid taxes. So, I don't have a problem with it, but just as we cannot have dual citizenship with countries we are at war with, we also cannot have dual with countries that we are enemies with. I think billionaires should not be allowed to live in the USA if they also take on citizenship in tax shelter countries. They should lose their USA citizenship.
All this crap where you can live here and do business here, but finagle your taxes into a tax shelter outside the US is corrupt as hell and could be stopped, were lawmakers not on the take.
D4N, while SCOTUS declared money = free speech in their Citizen's United decision, I don't believe they declared that free speech remain anonymous, kind of a preposterous state of affairs to begin with. The anonymity came with subsequent rules allowing PACS and super-PACS to donate their "free speech."
I don't believe these are "the law of the land," just the FEC's rules of the road subject to further legislative remedy...when the blue tide sweeps the nation next year. And I couldn't agree more, money ISN'T a vote, just an influencer of votes.
Yes, and until FB opened up voting booths, your vote was rightfully anonymous. I have believed that dynamic played an outsized role in electing TFG as well, and by design and intent. ...As in, lets start a 'bandwagon' effect on social media that nearly everyone has. It was like "Hey, let's all follow the leader ! Look see all the FB support he has (contrived though)" ! But the effect was the same. Our adversaries in the world played an outsized role; so did commerce; so did the 'Moral majority' of those who are 'more moral and more equal' than all others.
Geopease sounds like English, but has entirely different meanings. It gets people all confused. As a general rule if you pair the word "not" to everything a Republican says, it starts to make more sense.
When Republicans say "freedom", substitute the word "impunity" (only for them and their cronies, of course). "Free market" in Geopease means few if any rules for corporations, especially no restrictions on monopolies and cartels. But then that's actually market domination, not freedom. Like a free society, a genuine free market is free of, or at least protected from, major bullies. But calling pro-bullying "freedom loving" sounds much nicer.
A paltry sum for such egregious injuries considering what Dominion received, but a win nevertheless. And like a human fist, speech can be a weapon. That weapon can be freely used in a fair fight, which peaceful protest (even by Nazis) is and which this was not. "Freedom comes with responsibilities" adults used to say when I was growing up. Why would that not hold for those in adult positions of power?
That's a part of understanding the gop 'code speak' I've mentioned Michael. With nothing concrete published or discoverable, they (GOP) are free to lie to their constituents and what published 'facts' do we have to refute their lies - how do their constituents know otherwise ? That's the useful portion of "Citizens United," for those with no honor, fully exercising their 'rights of free speech', which we learned also covers campaign lies, per the special counsel.
The drug Co seem to have a lot of $$$$$$ for tv advertisements. They could save lots & reduce drug prices by eliminating their ads that scare me from taking any of the advertised drugs & their side effects!
Michael—and then TFG will say that he promised to lower prescription drug prices and now he alone has been able to do so. Campaign pledge delivered!<sarcasm>
That's a part of understanding the gop 'code speak' I've mentioned Michael. With nothing concrete published or discoverable, they (GOP) are free to lie to their constituents and what published 'facts' do we have to refute their lies - how do their constituents know otherwise ? That's the useful portion of "Citizens United," for those with no honor, fully exercising their 'rights of free speech', which we learned also covers campaign lies, per the special counsel.
D4N, Without taking time to research....we are a vulnerable population. Where do we go for hopfully sound info....Google, phones, news channels....magazines, newspapers...etc. If information is not sound and true....our entire lives are "messed up"....travel directions even recipe directions....Honesty has never been such a precious commodity.....along with good, solid character. It appears "brainwashing" has never been so easy to accomplish!
Michael, Biden's support structure, press office, cabinet members and the Democratic Party bear a good deal of responsibility for the public's ignorance of their accomplishments on behalf of the American people.
When people who will benefit from the government's negotiations with pharma learn that such negotiations were the result of Biden's work, on what basis did you state the 'they might blow it off...'?
Because no Republicans voted for the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, under which the prices of ten drugs (for starters) will be reduced, it would be going too far to require the presentation of voter registration identification at pharmacies, so that registered Republicans might not take advantage of the reduced prices, something opposed by those they probably voted for. All Americans, even Republicans, should benefit ... but it's a thought, although a quidkly dismissible one.
This is the sentence that leapt out at me: "The largest drug companies spend more on payouts for investors and executives than on research and development." It is the same callous attitude that fuels anti abortion rhetoric--they do not care about life, only money.
And if you add in direct-to-consumer advertising (which is illegal in most countries and used to be here), the percentage actually invested in REAL R&D (not tweaking drugs about to lose patent protection to avoid competition, but actually creating something new and useful) is truly tiny (and shameful).
I remember not so many years ago when drug companies -- and lawyers -- were NOT allowed to advertise their medications on TV. Once their lobbyists got that changed, everything has gone to hell in a handbasket.
"Ask your doctor about "blankety blank". It can change your life!" And then they babble off a huge list of side effects their attorneys told them might protect them in a lawsuit.
What doctor wants a patient to march in demanding a specific drug? TV ads for drugs are nuts. And it's obviously paid for by you and me in the price of the drug.
The immorality of profiting off of people's illness is stunningly obvious. And here is the issue nobody wants to talk about. What is the incentive built into our system of health care system to PREVENT illness? We develop fancy drugs that cost a fortune to treat symptoms. The ad said: "You can live a normal life!" But what if all this money was invested in finding the causes? DUH? Why would we do that? Illness is a profit driver.
It's just like our for profit privately run prisons. Where is the motivation for these companies to reduce recidivism? Why would they want to hurt their business model?
As a retired physician, many times patients would come in asking for a "new miracle drug!" they'd seen advertised on TV. I would patiently explain why I was not going to prescribe that medication at that particular point at time, and why: most medications are only tested on a small group, often around 5,000 people. However, once on the market, millions of people would be exposed and unexpected, and even life-threatening, side effects could appear. I always waited two years till I'd prescribe. And then, only IF the "new" medication was actually better than what was already on the market. Sometimes it was; more often than not, it wasn't. After I took time to explain, no one ever pushed me to prescribe. Most were appreciative of my caution.
My "script" is based on the system itself. Our Boston area doctors are among the finest in the world. We absolutely love our PCP, dermatologist, eye doc, gastro, etc.
All dedicated. And all super frustated with the complexities of insurance billing, and the bureaucracies that tell them how long appointments should be and encourage expensive procedures and medications.
We have the best PCP we have ever had in our long lives. She is a detective. She doesn't over prescribe. She listens. She partners. And she is booking appointments out 18 months.
I asked why. She said: "Who wants to practice general family care when the money is in specialties?"
We have the best doctors money can buy. If we didn't have excellent Medicare supplement policies, we would be out of luck.
Young families without good insurance from their employers are one accident away from bankruptcy.
Thank you, Bill. I don't like putting the burden of fault mostly on the doctors. I have learned that a good number of them, along with nurses and therapists have left their professions as a result of this country's 'health-care system'. We are aware of how 'wild capitalism', so powerful in this country, punishes most Americans.
As a retired physician, many times patients would come in asking for a "new miracle drug!" they'd seen advertised on TV. I would patiently explain why I was not going to prescribe that medication at that particular point at time, and why: most medications are only tested on a small group, often around 5,000 people. However, once on the market, millions of people would be exposed and unexpected, and even life-threatening, side effects could appear. I always waited two years till I'd prescribe. And then, only IF the "new" medication was actually better than what was already on the market. Sometimes it was; more often than not, it wasn't. After I took time to explain, no one ever pushed me to prescribe. Most were appreciative of my caution.
When I am watching public affairs programing on MSNBC, commercial breaks are flooded with ads for pharmaceuticals. How much of our very over-priced medications problem the result of 'consumer demand'? There is no question that our government's policies, up until now, pharma and its lobby, health insurance companies as well as most Republicans and some Democrats are major factors at play.
You’re right, George, and everybody can look it up in the year report of, e.g., Pfizer, that only 15% of their budget goes to R&D; whereas P&R and Legal get almost triple that amount. That makes it very clear where their priorities are…
And a significant portion of the R&D spending is spent on tweaking formulas for drugs that are soon to lose patent protection to make them "new" (a practice that should be flagrantly illegal).
I wonder where they hide the payments to convince competitors not to bring off-patent drugs to the generic market? Again this should be explicitly outlawed, and the executive scum involved should be fined, jailed, and banned from the industry, but instead, the FDA looks the other way (of course, the FDA is packed with industry lobbyists everytime a GQP scumwad infests the Whitehouse).
Once again, money in politics is the root of much evil. Lobbyists should earn a lifetime ban from ANY position overseeing the industry they paid bribes to support (of course "campaign contributions" is the polite term for bribes . . .). But then, where would the GQP scum find sycophantic bottom feeders to fill their appointments????
"And a significant portion of the R&D spending is spent on tweaking formulas for drugs that are soon to lose patent protection to make them "new" (a practice that should be flagrantly illegal)."
You're right, and you're right. That practice has peeved me all the time I worked for the industry...
Which I think really should mean that the US should get a BETTER deal than other country at least for a period of time. Once again, welfare for corporations and the wealthy, rugged individualism (i.e. sink or swim) for the average citizen.
“Free markets,” like free speech, have been contorted to allow the freedom to lie, manipulate, and bully with impunity, protected by a majority of Enforcers in black robes who are unimpeachable for the rest of their lives. What a perversion of our constitutional republic!
George, when Democrats are in charge again, we need to pass legislation barring the direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. We can just ask our allies to share the most effective language.
For years, drug companies justified their prices because of the "fact" that other countries would not allow them to add cost due to research and development, so they HAD TO recover those costs somewhere. And the USA, they said, would be a socialist country if they interfered with big Pharma, and new drugs would not be developed, and lots of people would suffer and die. Snort. Capitalist bullshit and we were played by them like a patsy. Suckers that we were. No more!
Lots of Americans do suffer and die at the hands of the pharmaceutical price fixers. Thank you, Joe Biden for keeping your hand steady and your eyes on the prize. And voters need to understand that, because these price negotiations won’t go into effect until 2026, a Republican victory could make it all go poof!
And I for one believed they were investing in research. Years ago, our state University revamped its grant program to support pharma supported research, cutting out many smaller and innovative studies. It was the first time I had thought about where the money was going in medical research, and it made me angry.
In my experience, this is absolutely true. The business guys acted like they alone were responsible for the success of a new medication. They patted themselves on the back about their wonderful advertising/messaging/branding and gave themselves huge bonuses.
Meanwhile the physicians and scientists that did the actual work got a pittance of what the company was paying the business guys.
I always thought that the physicians who prescribed the meds did not care about all that business/advertising stuff. They wanted to see the scientific data and would make up their own minds about whether to use the drugs/vaccines/biologicals/tests/devices/etc.
If I recall correctly I think a read that they also spend more on advertising than research. Moreover, they have been neglecting research into new antibiotics even as the value of old one erodes from profligate use because there is more profit in products that need to be taken every day.
Republicans harp on how high profits are essential to support innovation in products like banking, but most of the "innovation" I have seen has been new ways to screw the customer. As for technical innovation, yes I see that progressing, but companies love settled cash cows, and technical innovation was amazing in the 20th century even before the "deregulation" fever. Radio, TV, Relativity, advanced vaccines, computers, DNA, transistors, atomic energy, communications satellites, man on Moon, etc. That was a lot of basic innovation that has been expanded into contemporary high tech. Yet companies were, for the most part better behaved., and the ones that weren't more likely to be hit by regulators.
And, add the push to get people out of the hospital sooner—which meant drugs delivered at home and not subject to regulation, not to mention measuring turnover in beds like profit measures the same way a restaurant aims at table turn…is anyone trustable???
American drug prices are obscene. But not only Pharma Executives are worried. Lots of pension plans have investments in Pharma because their profits have been consistently high.
Your comment makes me wonder about the for profit health care co especially like the Medicare advantage ones who seem very aggressive in their self promotion.
It was the beloved Reagan economists who preached profits over people. The Republicans have made that more extreme with every decade. Now, it’s profits by any means, it’s ok if it’s illegal or harmful, even deadly-- see Perdue Pharma, CVS? Walgreens...
This, THIS right here -- negotiating prices for prescription drugs -- is, IMO, sufficient reason to have Joe Biden canonized a saint. The pricing of these drugs has been beyond shameful and that they can't be negotiated when every other part of Medicare and Medicaid CAN makes absolutely no sense. It is pure, unadulterated greed, greed put upon the sick and elderly in this country as WE are expected to cough up (no pun intended) the money to stay alive. And then, that Big Pharma has the sheer gall to poor-mouth it and say they need all these extra billions they're raking in for further research?!? We ALL know where those billions are going -- HCR referred to it -- to their investors and executives is where, plus probably to buying back stock and into off-shore investment accounts. And they expect us to believe their sob-story??? Maybe spend less on constant TV ads hawking their drugs with the cutesy names and catchy tunes -- something else that pisses me off as we, along with New Zealand, are the only countries on the planet that allow that. We really do have THE most effed-up medical system in the world. It is geared to absolutely nothing else but profits, health and welfare of the population be damned. We don't matter. Only the money we fork over to them is what matters to them. Biden's attempts to try and make things easier is one tiny step in the right direction. I can only hope that more giant leaps may be in the offing for the future, Big Pharma be damned.
And please . . . at every given opportunity, we HAVE to remind any- and everyone who will listen, that Republicans up and down the line, in House and Senate voted AGAINST this. They will strike it down at the first opportunity. Nothing else shows more strikingly where the bastards stand on helping the people of this country. This is their shame and we need to never let them forget it!
Now I got myself all worked up and I need to get to bed!!
I worked for the pharmaceutical industry for years, and I can confirm that money is their first priority. They are not interested in making people healthy, but keeping them sick: healthy people don’t provide them with revenue. Innovation is long gone in the big companies. They’ll simply buy a start-up with a good idea or use lawyers to get competitors out of their playing field. That mentality is the reason why I left the profession…
Damn straight, Bruce and wonderfully put. You captured the ghastly and inhumanity of the "hands tied from negotiating " policy that Big Pharma bought their GOP lackeys to implement to the proverbial "T".
Fun indeed! Big sports Labor Day weekend ahead all around, including the aforementioned showdown between the Dodgers and Braves, ⚾️ the US Open 🎾and the start of the football season. (The latter 🏈 beng my least favorite sport, for what it's worth)
Tell a friend! Write a letter to the newspaper! Spread the word about what Biden stands for and what he has accomplished. And, at the same time, point out where the Republicans have come down on this issue!
I forward the Letter onto friends, and this one is so important, I printed it to mail to my eldest sister and her husband (83 & 85) who do not have a computer or smartphone. But boy do they make sure to VOTE.
Bruce, Thank you. You are one to speak the truth. Thankfully, today at the age of 71, I take no meds. I do choose to take a handful of vitamins. I am blessed for the moment.... nothing special....who knows what the next month will bring. I enjoy every day as best as possible. I love my children and grandchildren and my dear old friends and my niece, I have known for years....who do not live close but I am able to drive to be with them now that I do not work.
I have had cancer removed which the doctors and surgeons thought to be a benign lump. The joys of being human!.....so now am having regular scans.
I do think over-charging for meds is criminal especially meds necessary for everyday health, such as those who live with diabetes. Thank you Joe Biden and team!!!!
Fortunately, I don't have so many drugs I need to take . . . only a couple things for BPH (enlarged prostate), osteo-arthritis, and some low-grade pain meds for my deteriorating spine (2 fused vertebrae and severe scoliosis). All of these are available in generics, so the cost to my insurance is minimal and I only have to pay out of pocket for one of the pain meds. I know people who have it far worse with heart meds, or diabetes meds, or blood thinners, or what have you. I turn 70 next month and my doc tells me that health-wise I'm in very good shape for someone my age (*touch wood*), aside from my spine. A lot of good years of living VERY healthily did help. Skeletal issues, bones and joints, are my bête noir.
Joe Biden has taken up Bernie Sanders' mantra that health care is a human right. We need to put patients before profits, once and for all. As I wrote in the past, a small group on Cape Cod has developed a survey to show towns and cities and other entities how much they will save if we get our legislators to pass "An Act Establishing Medicare for all in Massachusetts " (2023 House bill H.1239 and 2023 Senate bill S.744). Here's what we just wrote for a progressive newsletter:
This survey only requires about 30 minutes of a Finance or Human Resources
director’s time and needs only eight data elements: the town’s budget, the
total number of employees, total payroll, the town’s cost for current
employees and retirees’ medical, dental and hearing coverage. The
calculated outputs give town savings, plus employee total and individual
average savings.
For the five Cape towns and Barnstable County government in the pilot
project, projected annual town savings differ by town size, ranging from
$1.4M for Provincetown, to $6.8M for Mashpee. The average annual savings
per employee is around $2,500, and towns would save an average of 5.4% of
their annual budget, ranging from 2.4% for Barnstable town to 10.1% for
Mashpee. To see the savings for your town, get in touch with us at
ccc4uhc@gmail.com and we will send you the spreadsheet with embedded
formulas for your town/city officials to work with. Very soon, a form
will be available on MassCare’s website (www.masscare.org) as well.
Our goal is to survey communities across the Commonwealth, aggregating the
data and compiling the results, so that we can all present these
compelling arguments to our legislators in the expectation that they will
vote these bills into law. Then these potential savings will become
“The answer to our health care crisis is clear. We propose a publicly financed, non-profit single-payer national health program that would fully cover medical care for all Americans.”
Kathy, While I certainly agree with the notion of healthcare as a right and have supported the principles of PNHP, I have also been sobered by the difficulties I hear about from colleagues who work in nationalized healthcare systems in Canada and Great Britain. They are paid significantly less, there are fewer hospital beds available and wait times for what are common procedures here (in USA) are often months or even years long. All of these issues boil down to political issues where healthcare is truly nationalized and as such, those issues get determined by politicians. Sadly, I fear we have seen all too clearly what happens when we rely on political parties to manage money and budgeting issues. Some countries (Scandinavian?) seem to have managed a productive balance between healthcare as a right and the political choices necessary to support that right but there are several prominent examples of those countries which have not.
John, happens even here. I need cataract surgery in both eyes (scary!) and can not get an initial diagnostic from the specialist (my ophthalmologist already did the initial diagnosis & made the referral) until Feb 2024, the earliest they have available. No clue when the actual surgery might take place…just lots of months now to stew & worry over it!!!! Of course I live in a fairly rural area that has a dearth of specialists & even primary care docs are retiring—some putting it off way past the desired time because of community need.
Betsy, I’ve often said that if offered a public option (styled on Medicare) to their current health options, many people would choose the public option because it would be lower cost (no profit motive). Since it would operate like Medicare, there would be no need for additional personnel in doctors’ offices to handle the billing. Like Medicare, the public option would have a gap insurance available for those who don’t want such large deductibles and copays. It could work—talk to your friends about how nice it is to “graduate” into Medicare.
It "is" a human right Betsy. It certainly seems that the gop leadership's way is for us of little or lesser means to only be useful as 'cannon fodder' or "Soylent Green" in their care master plan, and sell us all for fertilizer.
Samm, thank you for your comment. May I suggest that you contact your state rep (Kip Diggs?) and your state senator (Julian Cyr) to tell them to vote in favor of these bills. As a French major from the '60s, I know that, like art history majors, we make excellent activists. : )
I’m ecstatic to see this! Three of these on this first list I currently take, and my insurance doesn’t cover them. I have to pay through the nose to get them, which is only about one-third of the time I need to be taking them.
I have read through these comments and I’m really trying to figure out why people actually think that Biden can snap his fingers and thus will happen immediately. If people will tune in sometime to a decent news network, or pay attention to some of these politicians that introduce these things and are actually able ti get something done with the bunch of Trumpublicans we have elected into these offices, you might learn what has had to be fine to get this through.
I’m going to say something else. I’ve been preaching this for months. I don’t care if Joe Biden was 109, on his deathbed. I’m voting for him, and Vice President Harris. I’m pushing to get every Republican in the House of Representatives, and the Senate replaced with a Democrat that wants to actually work for us. President Biden is doing everything he can to help us. The Trumpublicans are doing everything possible to destroy us, and this country.
If we don’t fight back, vote these morons out of office, and replace these Republican state legislators and governors, our country will be no more. Democracy will be gone. There will be no more Constitution. You won’t even be abjection walk out of your home without permission!
Thanks, Daniel. You're spot on as far as I'm concerned about Biden's ability - or lack thereof - to snap his fingers and all will be right with the world!
Lynell, Joe Biden has given his life serving in Congress and now as our President. He was exactly the VP former President Obama needed. They accomplished some great things together!.......let's continue the bend towards a better nation....rebuilding our infrastructure, more available healthcare for all, improving our schools and providing our teachers with a decent salary and the materials they need for their classrooms, caring for our environment, protecting our National Parks...clean water....teaching and demonstrating respect for one another.....etc.
Let's also remember that President Joe Biden has some amazing people working with him. He does not need to be a dictator or the center of attention...he does not badmouth his opposition but attempts to work with everyone for the success of our Democracy..."for the people"....not for his glory....
Our world is a better place because of him and his positive connection with world leaders. Just as leaders are beginning to experience hope for a world that can function together inspite of our differences....we cannot let this good work end....we must keep working for a better planet where we can work together.....in this way, we can accomplish the most good for everyone....we can solve more problems concerning poverty....food and medical care, clean air and education for more children....jobs will be created to continue to meet these needs. Please lets work together to keep the good going and be constantly aware of those who want to destroy this planet home for short term gain......together, we can do better!!!!
Emily, well said. I imagine running for public office, especially President, one has to have a certain amount of ambition and ego and confidence. That said, there are those, and I believe Biden is one of them, who listens to a higher calling and throws everything he has into being a “public servant”…not for self aggrandizement, but to effect real, positive, change. I really believe what he says when he indicates he want to represent “us all”…not just those who agree with him for the greater good. That he is humble and knowledgeable enough to know he alone cannot do it all and surrounds himself with the best & brightest AND listens to them is the mark of an excellent leader. I imagine he is tired and, had the political landscape not been so dangerous and fraught, he might be enjoying an activity filled retirement….no, instead he saw a country on the precipice and stepped in with his years of experience, wisdom and diplomacy to keep up from sliding down that slippery authoritarian slope. Will he get it 100% right, no, of course not—who does? But we can all be sure he has our backs….just as, for me, I have his & his administration’s.
Emily, you are absolutely correct about all of this.
If you recall, when 🍓 🤡 took office from President Obama in 2017, he immediately abolished everything that had been accomplished, with the exception of Obamacare. That he couldn’t screw with, or wasn’t able to screw with it. But he, and his majority House of Representatives and majority Senate were able to abolish everything else. All of the trade agreements, our standing with NATO, and all of our allies were all abolished. He even went as far to stop trade altogether with a total embargo! This is when our farmers list everything. We had thousands of farmers Lise their farms and livelihoods because of this. This is when we had food disappearing from the store shelves because we couldn’t get any imported. On the same hand, the food our producers were exporting was being dumped into the oceans because it sat in the ships and finally rotted, or the animals died from starvation.
This is just one example of the chaos caused by Frumpy and his band of Republicans in the Congress.
The same goes for the gas prices we are paying today. This is a result of his negotiations/ties with Saudi Arabia.
If you recall, he, and son-in-law Kirchner made a deal with them on how much oil we would purchase over (I think) the next ten years. Thus is what increased the gas prices because they allowed the Saudi’s to set the price on the oil they sold to us! And, as we all know, after we get it, we have to prices it, which costs money to do, which also increased the price of the gasoline!
So, 🍓 🤡 screwed us, big time! In the meantime, he’s making millions hand over ghat from his dealing with Saudi Arabia and with Putin!
OK (why am I not surprised?) Who starts the process? Who agitates until the process is started? Between gerrymander and electoral college, the country is stuck in the dark ages. When I think of the talent pool and intellectual might of America, apparently powerless in the grip of a (relative) handful of politicians, for want of a better word to describe those backwoodsmen!
I'd like to see a lot more reporting on the Heritage Foundation's goals for the next Republican administration rather than on who can beat Joe Biden. Any Republican in the White House will be the death of our republic.
What needs to happen to every Republican in office now, be it state, local, federal, needs to be removed from office as quickly as we can vote them out. Since we can’t impeach them after electing them.
By the way, that brings up a point I’ve been wanting to air out.
Why is there not a provision in the Constitution that says we the people can’t impeach an elected official if he/she isn’t performing their duties as they were elected to do. These people were elected by us, to serve as our representatives in the state, local, or federal offices which they were elected to serve. They were “hired” by us. We need to have the ability to “fire” them if they dint perform their duties. Not have to wait 4 or 6 years to vote them out of office.
Happy to hear that will directly improve your situation, Daniel!
I agree with you on Biden. It is nothing short of ageism. Or are there people who just wouldn't want a black/Asian/female POTUS, should Biden become infirm/die, and this is an "out" to keep from admitting it?? If he truly showed cognitive disorders, I would hope his Cabinet would invoke the 25th. If he died, our Constitution is clear on what happens, as we saw (many of us, at least) when LBJ took the oath.
Thank you! I was soooo happy to see the WP actually praise Bidenomics today on two front page articles. Finally, a complete review of the IRA, stating it will forever change people’s lives for the good, and in it, a subtle smear on Joe Manchin’s part in limiting the extent of that success, as well as a damning report on Black Lung disease , where his state is #1. Maybe the WP has finally heard the relentless message from subscribers ….enough of “old Joe”… talk about the economy, stupid! Joe Biden’s administration has pulled off a miracle in rebuilding this economy in spite of a coo-coo House and silly Senate. This latest drug “deal” cinches his respect for the middle and lower earners. Please, fellow commentators, no more Joe bashing. Get out the vote! As he said clearly “Don’t compare me to the Almighty. Compare me to the alternative!
I can't recall which reader it was who asked us all to write to WP about a week ago, and complain at the lack of reporting on the positives of Biden's administration.
Maybe we made a difference? Power to the people! Let's replace that 4 letter group (MAGA) with another one: LFAA !!
Drug companies will do what gun manufacturers did to get around gun laws....tweak the formula and change the name and go back to high prices. If Medicare can negotiate now, it should be able to negotiate all drugs, not just ten by name. It should be by category or common usage, so that negotiations can roll over to new drugs. And it shouldn't wait until 2026, which negates all the publicity and Democrat advantage before this next crucial election.
As was reported, President Biden’s team selected the 10 taken by the most Americans that were the most expensive. This is what they were able to negotiate with the ‘Big Pharma’ groups. We need to quit bitching about this and take what is given. This is steps that have been trying to be accomplished for over 20 years, and finally, President Biden has ‘broken the ice’ and is starting to get things done.
I don’t understand why people think he can snap his fingers and miracles happen. He is fighting for us, which I might as, is quite the contrary of what was happening the previous administration!
Right now, today, we are suffering higher food, oil, gas, prices than we’ve ever had because of the deals Trump made with the Saudi’s government and his embargo that crippled our food supply, and farmers.
So, I truly suggest we all get behind President Biden and Vice President Harris and let them stay in position to try to finish getting this country back on the track it needs to be on!
It should be pointed out that the basic research on which the pharmaceutical industry bases its work is done or funded by the NIH, which is taxpayers' money. The industry develops drugs, it does NOT do research. A recognition of this would go a long way to justify - not that we need additional justification - the regulation of drug prices. It is amazing to me that this is poorly recognized by many people.
Not entirely true… The industry does develop drugs as well, but that’s mostly done by start-ups nowadays. The big companies don’t want to risk their money (it might peeve the shareholders) so they just go out and buy those who have a promising lead.
About 25 years ago (best I can remember), my partner was hired to manage a project to build a lab for a major drug company. They had a hot new drug which he was told would make the pains of old age go away. He was very excited about the prospects for the drug, and the project was finished on time, even though the ground was so contaminated that workers had to wear hazmat gear. The drug was manufactured and hit the market in what seemed record time. But the results were scary. Strokes were prominent and there were lots of abdominal complications. A prominent athlete nearly died. I just checked, and the drug is still on the market with multiple cautions. We are old enough to need it, but it never crosses our minds.
AGREE Alan, however, I would adjust just one word: I would encourage us to "negotiate" rather than "regulate" drug prices. Regulated pricing rarely works out well in the long run but negotiating what we'll pay allows us and the industry to respond much more quickly to changes in the market as well as the economy. We need to balance both, capitalism restrained by government for the people.
Lynn, I have searched until I found this! It was in the Morning Joe program on MSNBC. Here’s the link to it, and I’m adding links to other reports as well.
Karin Kelsey, Klobuchar didn't mention the huge delay in reducing drug costs. This is a glaring problem. We're just supposed to be grateful that finally, something is being done about excessive drug pricing?
And, how huge the Big Pharma commercial market is, think McKesson, think Cardinal. CVS & other retail outlets are deeply involved as well.
Good to see the start with the ten (10) prescriptions impacting Millions of Patient's Pocket Books. As an attorney, I have done over 30 years of pro bono work sorting out prescription billing abuse & related medical insurance hassles.
Kudos to HCR to focus on this major historical step forward for Consumers.
I want to know the details too. The delay means that too many voters won’t give Biden any credit for this and that Republicans and corporate Democrats may be able to prevent it from taking effect.
Bravo Biden Harris! Continuing a legacy of helping strengthen the American middle class.
On another note, The proud Boys leadership sentencing is tomorrow. The boys are looking at 30+ years for seditious conspiracy. 33 for Mr Tarrio! I hope we can send him an 300 lbs orange skinned roommate by next spring.
Good grief! Doesn't think he did anything wrong while he was peacefully sightseeing, with his battering ram etc. Something tells me he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. A year ago, eh? "“Today I have mixed feelings,” Neumann told BelTA in the report aired Tuesday. “I am glad Belarus took care of me. I am upset to find myself in a situation where I have problems in my own country.” Belarus? That's where Prigozhin went during his brief "banishment". And THEY worry about the Mexicans getting in!
Curious if anyone knows why was Tarrio the only PB leader ordered to leave DC prior to J6? Why were other leaders allowed to stay in DC for J6? It makes no sense.
I believe he was only one charged in the incident of burning a flag from an Black church congregation from the Dec 2020 rally PB had in DC and prohibition from DC was part of court proceeding conditions
Here! Here! for the Biden Administration. Many years ago when my daughter had to regularly use an asthma medication, which cost $300 without insurance, we were in Germany and I had not been able to get it the day we left because the insurance company would not release it in time for us to get it before going to the airport. So I had a friend pick it up and mail it the next day. It got caught in German customs and was taking a long time, so when she was about to be out I had her doctor fax a prescription to the local pharmacist after we figured out what the comparable drug was in German, and it was going to cost me 30€ our of pocket. Now I am in Germany and my eyelid swoll up a couple of nights ago. It feels okay, but looks swollen. So, yesterday on my way to a cafe, I stopped by a pharmacy and had the pharmacist recommend something. She recommended a salve that has some antibiotic in it. A tube cost me 12€. I cannot imagine what I would be paying for it in the USA, but I imagine more. Also, the German student health insurance that we got our daughter, which is private because she cannot be in the public insurance system until next year, costs us 69 € a month for her to have full coverage, including medications including birth control and all doctor, dental, eye care visits, including hospitalizations. This is her coverage with the pre existing condition of asthma. The public health insurance which has to take everyone costs even less.
Medicare Part D included the ban on negotiation. It was Big Pharma's must have to make the deal. Remember the whistleblower who gave the estimate of the true cost, (half a billion?) and Republicans wanted it buried? To pass it, they held voting open past the deadline to twist Sununu's arm to vote for it. It has been a boondoggle. I'm out way more money for drugs than I was under private insurance who paid 90% of cost before 2005. We pay a premium for Part D, have a big deductible, plus ever over 7 m9nths of me paying 100% before insurance kicks in.
I’m 82 now and opted not to sign up for Part D at 65, as did my husband.I really didn’t need it, and anything Bush was pushing was not to anyone’s advantage. Now my 88 year old husband is taking six different, expensive drugs ( for good reasons) and out of necessity is paying a the penalty. I have had to research on-line every time I receive a new RX for best price. The last two were for “dry eye” and were so high as to be laughable ($800+ & $600+); needless to say, I opted for OTC products. These particular drugs would have still required a large amount to be paid even with Part D. It makes me furious to watch ads on TV for them, as it does to see the perky, gift-bearing Pharma reps in doctors’ offices when I go in. In talking to health insurance broker, I need to get Part D now and pay start paying penalty before I need as many RX’s as my husband now does. What Biden is doing for this country is more than wonderful, but certainly wish we didn’t have to wait three years. Aren’t any MAGAS on Medicare? Or parents of Republican politicians?
When I went on Medicare I was taking no drugs at all, so I skipped picking up Part D. The very next year, I picked up the Part D but I had to cough up a monthly penalty that almost doubled the standard premium for Part D and I will have to pay this for for the rest of my life.
More than 5 years later, I was put on a common diuretic and a tiny dose of thyroid medication. I'm still paying the standard deduction, plus that penalty amount, plus the co-pay for my minor medications. Please explain to me how my ONE year of not taking Part D hasn't been more than made up in 5 or 6 years!!! Ridiculous.
And at any time they can send you a letter saying they no longer cover a drug you have been taking. You sign up for a Part D based on whether the plan’s formulary covers your meds...but then remove your med(s) from the formulary... and you pay 100%. That should be illegal.
IN the year before I went on Medicare, an older friend who was told me that she used "GoodRx" for some of her meds, that it was cheaper than using Medicare. I am only on one med that costs me $4 for 90 days, so it doesn't help me. I recall a discussion about Medicare vs GoodRx at the break table but don't recall all the details of the benefit vs disadvantage of using it.
I have been using Good RX for several years, but suddenly they have changed their plan. You have to sign up and first prescription is ridiculously cheap and then prices go up. I use to be able to check out the one I needed and see price at the different pharmacies and just go get it. I’m at a loss of what to do after reading some of your comments. We have run into some of the newer drugs not being covered fully by Part D. Much needs to be done for Americans to be able to receive what is necessary for healing or comfort.
We saw this on the CBS Evening News. They displayed the logos of the drugs included. Most of them were immediately familiar since they advertise so heavily on major network news programs.
I don’t watch much broadcast TV but the rare times that I do, all the ads are for drugs. There’s never any mention of what they are for - “Ask your doctor” - and lots of images of people who obviously are not suffering from whatever ailments these wonder drugs are supposed to cure. I wonder if a less than scrupulous doctor would prescribe a certain med because a patient asked about it and there was some financial gain for the doctor by prescribing it.
Marg, I am a recently retired family doc and remember when the advertising began. The "ask your doctor" is annoying and aimed at brand recognition. About the time the TV ads began many practices banned drug reps, so some info was aimed at physicians. I remember my family listening to the litany of side effects vowing they would never take that med. I also remember how many patients struggled to afford insulin, inhalers or drug thinners that were often life or death meds. This is a very good change in Medicare and, hopefully, will also provide some help to the uninsured/underinsured as well.
I will never forget working in the lab of a major medical center in a large urban area. Each sample had about a 60 character space for the diagnosis or complaint. A patient came in the ER and had an astronomical Glucose level. Dx: "can't afford the medicine"
They get other benefits, like fully paid trips (like Thomas!) to attractive destinations, their names on professional publications, etc. Seen Painkiller on Netflix?
"This plan is a key part of Bidenomics, my economic vision for growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up -- not the top down," Biden said, "And it's working."
And it's working.
What does not, however, seem to be working is the American psyche. Aided by mass media, all that the population can do is complain that Biden is "too old" to be president, while many still prefer a deranged criminal in the same age group with behavior patterns that threaten his own life -- and theirs. And life on Earth.
The President has a hard job building bridges back to relative sanity and laying foundations for a livable future.
If FDR had been as visible as today's politicians, would he have been mauled daily by all mass media? Or...?
Those were other Americans, other times, other mores. Today, the threat to democracy comes from without, above all from within. Democracy and the survival of democratic institutions depend on an educable public and responsible sources of information.
We shall soon be seeing whether those still exist in the United States of America.
I don't like it, neither do I like the reality that prompted it.
If only people would wake up from stupid dreams and stupider ideas, beliefs and prejudices! Wake up to something more like reality...
In yesterday's Soviet Union, ordinary people trusted the US Constitution, trusted American institutions.
After years of lies, lies and homegrown sabotage, credulous Americans gawp at infotainment and entertaining charlatans... and cheer while their pockets are picked...
Your comment about the American psyche and the media influence that is shaping it is spot on. As you note, several of us "like" your comment, and although you don't like either the comment or the reality that prompted it, it does resonate with us. I agree, and sure wish that people could "...wake up from stupid dreams and stupider ideas, beliefs and prejudices! Wake up to something more like reality..." Not just that, but to start taking an active role in life and stop the mindless feeding of garbage coming in through propaganda driven sources.
I keep remembering some of the more idiotic things I saw as a schoolkid, like a bunch of eleven-year-old boys charging around and chanting "We-all-say-so-therefore-it-must-be-true!!!"
ta daaaaa......once again, we are the ONLY country not negotiating pharmaceutical drug prices......nutso. That you for addressing this, President Biden. You and your team are the real deal.....not a game show.
Socialism?
While the US market is free, sometimes it doesn't hurt to introduce a little bit of socialism in health sector. It is working else. It is working even in developing countries to cushion off the society from high medical expenses znd enable them access their basic rights of healthcare which translates into life.
The quest by President Biden to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies over the drugs is the right step at the moment. The costs spent on drugs every year per capita is burgeoning towards $2000 per person, but in developing countries, this figure is even less than $500 because governments have chosen to adopt the single-payer system. If Biden succeeds in negotiations and revise the medicare provision that banned direct involvement of the government in price regulation, pharmaceutical companies wouldn't raise their prices anyhow. The costs of accessing healthcare services will be reduced drastically because of regulated pricing. It will also reduce the affinity for health providers to prescribe expensive drugs in their quest to gain more profits because of lack of comparative resrarch. Also, drug patent and exclusivity has made it hard for generic companies to compete because of court action. Thus, pharmaceutical companies have been playing a monopoly role in the drug industry. The results? High prices and skyrocketing general expenses.
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It isn’t socialism. The government isn’t going to run the pharmaceutical industry. Capitalism needs governmental control or else it turns into what we have, monopolies and price gouging. Biden is running a government for the people. The opposition is pushing for crazy, violence, and corruption. Those are our choices. HCR helps keep the focus on what Biden is doing. We have to keep spreading the message.
Amen. We need to speak out in favor of ALL of Biden’s accomplishments.
Oldandintheway, a description of what has been happening in the US would include the Republican Party's and its members' positions as strongly favoring the wealthy and big business in the US, but let us not be too vague in our knowledge. Business is an essential part of our country's functioning. It is important to know as citizens how the Republican Party's, its members', the Democrats', the Democratic Party's as well as the Administration's policies/regulations/control/influence/support concerning the following:
In the United States, the Small Business Administration (SBA) classifies businesses into three categories:
Small-sized business: annual revenue of less than $38.5 million and no more than 1,500 employees.
Medium-sized businesses: annual revenues between $38.5 million and $1 billion and 1,500 to 2,000 employees.
Large-sized business: over $1 billion in revenue and over 2,000 employees.
What about regulation of social media?
Yes, HCR, reports on the work of Biden and his administration in terms of how they together are impacting the lives of Americans as well as the country's foreign policies, trade, etc. She is not, however, a spokesperson for President Biden. With that in mind, we need to know more about how President Biden, John Kerry (US Envoy for Climate), and the political parties are addressing Climate Change.
What is more important concerning our lives on earth?
Good points Fern. Both parties need to keep firmly in mind that none of the talking points or positive actions will mean anything if we can't breathe the air, drink the water or grow food. The ongoing environmental degradation has got to stop and one step in that direction will be ending subsidies for the oil and gas industry and the agricultural conglomerates that generate much of the pollution either directly or through the use of their products.
Yes, DAVE! Our job as citizens is to get the government to work for us. We lobby on behalf of the needs of the American people. Some would have us be Biden's lobby, but that it not our role.
Administrations work better with our input, our votes and our voices, which will question what has been wrongly, poorly or not addressed at all as we strongly support good leadership for We the People of the United States.
I called it socialism because it can really work well in a healthcare sector that deals with human life. Socialism often roots for equality in terms of pricing and access to high quality drugs. This will limit exploitation from the pharmaceutical companies and make sure drugs are accessible cheaply. Cuba has done it before and their healthcare costs is so low.
A life long student of Government I am invariably fascinated by application of the ephemeral “Socialism.”
A nation that formed rebel governments to protect and existing governments to end human enslavement.
Then relied on Government
-to resist Imperial then Fascist threats.
-extract a nations economy several times from the greed and inept financial institutions
-supported and develop national transportation and a 49 state energy mess
Can hardly be considered not Socialistic. I often observe the nature of Socialism depends on whose ox is being gored.
If greedy factions seek profit Socialism is Evil.
But we vote for Socialized Medicine when a child develops cancer or our parents cost $5,000 per for a nursing home.
Maybe definitions are better set aside and a focus on goals or even the Public Good is a timely strategy.
I like your analyzed broad-based perspective about socialism.
As a student of Abe Lincoln my catechism asserts we must rely on Government for whatever needs we ourselves cannot provide.
We live in that result alongside deniers to it.
Practically every developed country in the world "fetters" capitalism when it comes to the cost of drugs.
Only the US has allowed the pharmaceutical to run up prices with no restraints, while spending more as a % of profit on marketing, executives, and shareholders. Insulin is the best possible example of their greed.
Those who wait for demand and supply to balance in the healthcare industry and expect a reduction in prices will just get the opposite. New methods in healthcare are required.
BIG PHarMA !!, = MAMMONITES !!. EX traudinaire !! ( Please Excuse, my Rotten Spelling ! )
The first socialist was Robin Hood.
DON , ! , ( A Funny : Robin HooliGan !! )
For-profit hospitals receive tax breaks for uncollectible treatment...non-profit hospitals receive tax benefits for being non-profit. Who do you think actually ends up paying for overpriced health care...tax payers. Socialism has become a dirty word for one reason...the republicans can use it to create fear. We are way beyond capitalism...it's greedism. And it doesn't trickle down.
Back in 1976, Fred Harris ran for the Democratic presidential nomination on a platform called the New Populism—the old populism shorn of its racist elements. Fred used to say, “They talk about the free market. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had one?”
Correct. The Pharma profitability model changes frequently over time and thus requires tweaking by a worthless Congress. As it turns out, Biden has the public's back at the moment. Rember the close call of the ACA in the Senate?
I am happy that Biden acknowledged that there is high costs of drugs and that ACA needs to be revised to suit the existing economic times.
This isn't socialism. It's public regulation of capitalism, which is necessary to keep the meat grinder of unregulated capitalism from chewing up our society.
Other than that, I agree with you completely--it's long past time for us to regulate these price-gougers.
2.5-3 x MORE than other countries! That’s astounding.
Three and a half times.
I am a retired MD and have had a lot of experience prescribing and using many medications. I take a number of meds myself. My biggest gripe is that the drug companies continue to charge high fees for many drugs that have been generic for over 25 years. And the newer ones are continuing to be priced high, despite their aging in to the generic phase. I have to spend over $3000. A year for my meds. I totally agree with Biden policies on drugs. It can not happen fast enough, in my opinion
PHARMA !, Are BANK BREAKERS! ( The Great American ! ,,,,,"RAPE - OFF ! )
Bingo!
Oh look... Edwin figured out how to climb to the top of the comment chain ! Go Edwin !
lol he just can't resist getting his advert in. Good comment though.
I am respectfully requesting that neither Commenters nor Authors post advertisements. Just take a look at HCR's practice, citations, source credits, author ID's, hat tips are all GOOD. That is one of the ways HCR's Community has grown to over 1 Million Subscribers. Thank you all.
affirmative, too bad it isn't so easy for trolls who run opinions generally counter to the gist of opinion here.
Affirmative, back at 'ya Frank. But, I did not see the latest Troll at his designated "4 Hour" start trolling Mark today. :0
Why do you want everyone to think the same way and never disagree? Trolls are annoying indeed, but conflicting opinions are the lifeblood of commentary. If you don't like conflict, just ignore people who challenge you, but don't expect much in the way of discussion, either.
Bryan, for the subscribers who advertise their product, along with commenting, also jump the line to be among the first on the forum and then take a long bite of it is not a 'fair' practice,
I concur FERN. FYI, I have grown tired of the One-wa- or-the-Highway communications with Substack Inc as the Platform continues to be peppered by "trolling" that targets a number of specific Paid Subscribers & Authors.
So I scrutinized the 8/17/21 Substack "Terms of Use" (TOU) early this morning to facilitate more direct communications with Substack Inc, the Delaware Corp.
The more "direct route" is tos@substackinc.com. That was "tos" not "tou" as to the first three (3) letters. Regards to targeted Authors & Paid Subscribers
This was a Public Service Announcement
Ha ha !
Ah, HCR. Again covering the happening that will become pieces in our historical record (and worthy of future analysis) rather than just the story of the day. Almost as if the dear doctor is providing a roadmap for students of her students who will provide the understand their children's children will need to live in and lead America's democracy as it became in their times. So clever, you historian you. 🌞
How do you spell relief? BIDEN. Student debt relief. Pharmaceutical relief and so much more. Go, Joe, go. You and your Administration are working for us. No wonder the paid-by-billionaires-media won’t put you on page one.
It’s not easy to close Pandora’s box, but President Biden is working very hard at it.
Why is it that America is at the bottom of the list when comparing quality of life issues with other 'developed countries'? Makes me so proud
A BIG !! FAT !! ,,,,,,,,,A ---MEN !! ( SAA-BOUT' * TIME !!*
I’m ridin’ with Biden!
Yes. Siden with Biden
Bidenomics like Obamacare. Both to help the people who put them there
Oh. And we do have socialism. For the drug and Oil companies.
Interesting that ReT****plicans don't conceder subsidies for Big Oil or Big Pharma as "socialism" but anything that helps the common people is called out as such. Such a bunch of hipocrites!!
Farm subsidies too. It gets complicated very fast on K st.
LIKE that: "Ridin' with Biden!" Let's go!
GOOD one! Easy, attractive, sensible, and optimistic - and a rhyme is good.
As good as, maybe better than, “I like Ike!” from the 1956 Eisenhower v Stevenson election.
I found that bumper sticker - "I'm ridin' with Biden' " - online (Amzn) and put it on my car yesterday. I'll be proud to vote for Joe again.
Somebody please help me understand--we have these two old white guys, one works night and day to up manufacturing here in the US, lower inflation, and fight for people low on the totem pole while the other one cheats, steals, and could not give one little turd for any of this but for his big fat butt. Yet, there are a slew of poor republican diabetics whose medication has just been lowered that will worship him to the grave. What gives me some sense of relief, whether or not it comes true, is imagining that that butt will find itself on a stinky toilet in a bedbug infested jail cell....
Sophia, increased mfg comes at a cost like all grand trade bargains. NAFTA? Someone's Ox always gets gored.
He's a cool driver, indeed, with those aviators 🤗
A lot of us are ridin' with you--and Biden! Best pres of my lifetime, which began in early Eisenhower. Best Pres since FDR!
Can't you hear the bleating Republicans: "It's socialism, I tell you! How dare Biden handcuff our great free market system."
And then later they'll beat their chests and claim they voted to deliver significantly lower drug prices, probably standing on a new multi-lane bridge that they had already taken taken credit for despite voting against the infrastructure package.
Rinse and repeat. But how much of the electorate knows what Biden and Democrats have accomplished for every American? Not nearly enough.
Socialism.... you mean like all those red states that take all that fed money? Good thing they don't believe in socialism...
Mega corporations 'love' socialism, such as > "And many blockbuster drugs rely on scientific discoveries from research funded by taxpayers, while drug companies’ R&D spending often focuses on minor changes to extend patent protection and block lower-priced competitors.” Highlights another of my conclusions regarding 'free market' propaganda in nearly every sector of the U.S. economy as it stands. Look who took over most all retail.... Amazon, and wrecked how many countless brick and mortar store chains.
I just canceled my Amazon Prime this week, after reading about the drivers' lawsuit against them. I'm done.
"Defendants' delivery drivers do not have time to take rest breaks because their routes are very busy, often requiring delivery of 200 to 300 packages per day," the lawsuit says, adding that drivers are pressured "to deliver a high volume of packages in as little time as possible."
"Consequently, drivers must resort to urinating in bottles or cans in their delivery vans or relieving themselves along the side of the road or in wooded areas," per the claim.
The drivers also allege that Amazon and its delivery contractors are failing to pay drivers properly for work they perform before and after their shifts, such as conducting safety checks and driving delivery vans back to where they are stored.
Good. We never buy from Amazon unless it is a last resort. We shop locally as mush as we can and buy as little as possible. We buy our books from Powell's, our very good local bookstore in Portland. I note in a post below that Amazon has us cornered and many ways that is true, unfortunately.
For sure I try to buy locally and did and it cost $170 for what I wanted but my business partner was able to find the same for $75 so I have to return what I bought. Gouging at corporate level and how does Amazon do it? Cheaper stuff and don't pay wharehouse workers well nor drivers?
I understand that not everyone can afford to buy locally. Amazon means to put everyone out of business. It fries me that many fund raisers, instead of supporting local businesses, have a connect to Amazon. I refuse to play that game. What I also see is many, many people lamenting the loss of a vibrant downtown with all the great locally owned stores. Well, first they went to Walmart and now Amazon. We have a huge Amazon warehouse here in Salem....no Whole Foods and we grocery shop at the local natural foods store. I have an ex-student who is an author and she loathes Amazon. An ex-classmate of mine figured out how to download books on her device for free and then wanted to know what I thought. Well, I noted, you are not stealing from Amazon, but from the authors I also have a friend with limited mobility and she uses Amazon and I understand that too. I think they work their warehouse workers to death and also the drivers. Lots of stuff made overseas is cheap and doesn't last. I once bought a hod which I thought would be great for harvesting vegetables. It fell apart before the year was out, so I am careful what I buy. I don't know what will happen now that the Chinese economy is having trouble.
PS- Trump threatened Jeff Bezos because of his politics. This was yet another instance of Trump using our government for his own personal political needs and vengeance in this case. Bezos did him one better with all these Amazon trucks.
Jeff- you are shooting yourself in the foot to no avail either. You are going to find what you need how? And pay the shipping costs and endure the wait time if it's urgent? Pay for the gas? Better that these drivers strike or have a lawsuit and publicity and get some satisfaction. They need their jobs too.
PS- do you remember when Trump, the POTUS, threatened to raise rates for Amazon when it was using the US Post Service?(as if he could have, I don't know). That is when all these Amazon trucks appeared... and look at who is driving them: folks who appreciate their jobs.
You should talk to some of those "folks who appreciate their jobs." I have. I did because they kept throwing packages under the bushes at the foot of my driveway. Medicine. Electronics. Discovered after a rainstorm; destroyed.
The two drivers that I spoke to were each young and very scared of losing their jobs. They said they had been told to drop the package as fast as possible and leave. No doorbell; nothing. Or they might not make their quota, and there were plenty more waiting to get their job.
We have not had that experience. Always nice drivers. But a Fed Ex delivery person left a food package in the rain at the foot of my driveway. UPS has at times done the same. You remind me to complain. And you should.
It sounds like what you are experiencing is protest, or passive resistance.This is why the protest is louder now. The person who told them to do what they did is to blame ( as well)..
If you care about solving the problem you need to be active and not think that complaining generally and here is going to fix the problem. People are people... as you know.
I refuse to pay a store to allow me to spend money in the store. Absolute insanity.
you are paying for free shipping...
Now that practically all the mom and pops are gone and even the big boxes have consolidated, can you find everything you need? How much time and gas do you or will you spend going around looking and shopping? Is there someone on your shoulder giving you reviews.. (or maybe you whip out your cell phone for that) and returns?
What about when the weather is prohibitive for going out, or you are sick?
Amazon has us cornered... especially now with Whole Foods...
But they provide..
You can shoot yourself on principle.
I buy regularly on Amazon after boycotting for years. I do not pay for Prime service. It takes a couple minutes more to find free shipping and the products may take a couple days to arrive. I hate Amazon and also like you say - why shoot yourself in the foot?
I am also willing to pay a bit more to shop local bc this is important to me.
You have a good point, Potter. I have a love/hate relationships with Amazon. I was very glad for their deliveries during the pandemic. I have also found that when I go to actual brick and mortar stores, often they have greatly reduced their inventory. It's impossible to make a purchase of an item that isn't there.
No pun intended, but my PRIMARY reason for Amazon Prime is for the access to the tv/movies. I do shop for goods as well, so the free shipping more than makes up for it.
Amazon is just another head of the capitalism beast. There are thousands of merchants signed on to Amazon because it's harder than hell to keep a small business alive otherwise. When I buy from Amazon I'm not driving my fossil fueled motor vehicle to go shopping (and in rural areas, Amazon is a godsend for people who live far from stores and malls), I'm not using up my time searching for stuff, and the prices usually are less. I don't feel guilty shopping at Amazon. I am not the one supporting an economic system of which Amazon is only a part. Next time you get on a plane, think about where your money is going. And remember how you all whined about high gas prices, and nobody wanted to cut down on their driving, car pool, or shut down early to save electricity, but everyone though it would be cool if Biden gave the green light to drill, baby, drill.
Respectfully, Marj, does that apply to Costco and Sam's club as well?
Yay, Jeff! I refuse to buy anything from Amazon and I have never had an Amazon Prime account. Don't you love how even the local news (ours, anyway) advertises "Prime Day," as if it's newsworthy or a real holiday?! Amazon is just a massive monopoly.
Sorry, Potter, thankfully not ALL of the mom and pops are gone, and there ARE alternatives to buying from that massive monopoly.
Alternatives for books. It is difficult to find alternative for some other items.
Killed mine awhile back. Bezos went too far, nipping at Musk’s heels.
Jeff, I too believe in workers' rights. How long do you figure it will take Amazon to go out of business?
Bret, also let's remind ourselves of the painful results of the past big ice storm in Texas. The privatized system could not produce enough power to protect Texas citizens ....people died...Cruz took his family to Mexico.
I think we should always be allowed the freedom to choose...but in the end.....we need one another. If an essential company is privatized, it should make sure it follows all safety rules and standards and checks itself regularly. Character is required!!!!
Just as the gigantic hurricane is hurling it's strength towards the Florida coast.....it's people and property.....we will come together as a country to help one another.
https://hartmannreport.com/p/will-the-maui-fires-be-a-wake-up-0b2
For-profit vs. Public utilities. This article makes a convincing argument for public utilities.
Joe, have long thought that, especially in northern CA with PG&E’s culpability for several devastating fires by not doing the necessary “housekeeping” to keep power lines from sparking fires in rural areas. What is scary to me is the push to “privatize” (read: monetize) even gov’t programs such as SS & MediCare just to name two.
CA public utilities might be called Quasi Utilities.
lol too funny
But the free market system was already handcuffed by medications not really being free market here. They are protected. If medicare gets to set rates because it is the largest customer that is free market.
"Free market system" is propaganda, so is the "magic hand of supply and demand", and it has been for decades. None of that hogwash works in the era of monopolies and facts hidden. Facts publishable, such as who contributes how much to whom - all information that would sway elections if not for the protection afforded by "Citizens United," courtesy of the SCrOTOS - oops, although unintentional, I'm not going to edit and correct that. lol. That is the most pressing problem we have - ie., too much is hidden, and as the special counsel made clear, candidates with 'free speech' are allowed, and do LIE. They couldn't do that in the if said campaign donations were open to public scrutiny - but alas, it's not. What a nitwit SCOTUS decision was that ? A kindergartener could have done a more logical job: Neither corporations, Unions, or any organization of more than one human can pull a voting lever, mark a ballot, etc. MONEY is Not free speech, it's a purchasable megaphone, a taller soapbox, etc. Money cannot cast a ballot. (speech and my position rest, lol) Think about it.
According to SCOTUS, corporations uniquely merit a citizen's rights but not responsibilities. Obama's AG theorized that:
"it remains true that, at some institutions that engaged in inappropriate conduct before, and may yet again, the buck still stops nowhere. Responsibility remains so diffuse, and top executives so insulated, that any misconduct could again be considered more a symptom of the institution’s culture than a result of the willful actions of any single individual." - Eric Holder
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of corporate charters?
He's there, the Phantom of the Boardroom.
The whole reason people kncorporate is to avoid personal responsibility in the event of a law suit. Can preserve personal property. Corporation is protection.
Well, theoretically. My wife, a highly skilled educator for the blind incorporated to do consulting work after she retired (and got more than she knew what to do with). That seems fair to me. Few people would invest in company were it a black hole for their nestegg if it failed. All makes sense; but due to the corruption of money, the power of incorporation has been expanded far beyond it's service to society, as have patents. Bribery and treason are the two crimes the Constitution spells out that disqualify all civil Officers of the United States, yet de facto bribery has been declared legal and law since Reagan displays a notable shift toward raising corporate agendas above the public's interests. The daily news reports this on a regular basis, but ignores the alarm.
Yes; and 'if' they (corp.) are 'persons', they are far "more equal" than you or I, in fact any 'real' person. Which is exactly 'why' many white folks are mistakenly aggrieved about civil rights, and womens rights for that matter - it's been promoted (falsely), that all 'those' folks only desire to be 'more equal' than you ! Rumble that one around in your well educated brain my esteemed friend.
Yes, many doctors and professionals incorporate.
My point was really that SCOTUS designated corporations have the right to "free speech" just las if they were an individual person
BUT the only reason corporations exist is to help the individual avoid the pitfalls of being legally an "individual person" and liable as an individual
I just don't get it...
It's BS, no matter who came up with it JL. Think it through ... It holds 'no water' when put to many tests of 'personhood' that does cast a ballot. Hogwash !
The form of business license that a corporation is does not breathe, and need not die. The collection of people who hold that license do, but are people, presumably with the same rights and responsibilities as anyone else, no more, no less, other than protect their personal fortunes from the debts of the business. They are still the ones that animate what is done under the corporate banner, like a driver steers the path of a car. Corporations don't kill people, people do.
Yes Graham. And that is why the CEO is normally also Chairman of the Board whose members (s)he selects. That is corporate accountability - a fairy tail.
As you say, the people with money who funded our nonFriend Clarence Thomas to make campaign contributions dark money knew what they were doing, and they have been trying to take over power of our entire nation and destroy it with their money. I think that we should make citizenship laws that do not allow duel citizenship with a tax haven nation like Thomas' friend Crow has in Kitts and Nevis. https://theintercept.com/2023/04/25/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-citizenship-st-kitts/#:~:text=In%202012%2C%20Crow%20and%20his,cash%2Dfor%2Dcitizenship%20scheme.
I believe we'll discover that he's 'in on it all' Linda.
Let's see here.. "Dual Citizenship"? How convenient. Something just doesn't seem right about that.
I have dual citizenship, but not to avoid taxes. So, I don't have a problem with it, but just as we cannot have dual citizenship with countries we are at war with, we also cannot have dual with countries that we are enemies with. I think billionaires should not be allowed to live in the USA if they also take on citizenship in tax shelter countries. They should lose their USA citizenship.
All this crap where you can live here and do business here, but finagle your taxes into a tax shelter outside the US is corrupt as hell and could be stopped, were lawmakers not on the take.
D4N, while SCOTUS declared money = free speech in their Citizen's United decision, I don't believe they declared that free speech remain anonymous, kind of a preposterous state of affairs to begin with. The anonymity came with subsequent rules allowing PACS and super-PACS to donate their "free speech."
I don't believe these are "the law of the land," just the FEC's rules of the road subject to further legislative remedy...when the blue tide sweeps the nation next year. And I couldn't agree more, money ISN'T a vote, just an influencer of votes.
IT'S THE VOTE THAT COUNTS!
Yes, and until FB opened up voting booths, your vote was rightfully anonymous. I have believed that dynamic played an outsized role in electing TFG as well, and by design and intent. ...As in, lets start a 'bandwagon' effect on social media that nearly everyone has. It was like "Hey, let's all follow the leader ! Look see all the FB support he has (contrived though)" ! But the effect was the same. Our adversaries in the world played an outsized role; so did commerce; so did the 'Moral majority' of those who are 'more moral and more equal' than all others.
works for Walmart and Costco! etc
Medicare gets to negotiate rates and this was prevented before in a major example of Market Interference
Geopease sounds like English, but has entirely different meanings. It gets people all confused. As a general rule if you pair the word "not" to everything a Republican says, it starts to make more sense.
When Republicans say "freedom", substitute the word "impunity" (only for them and their cronies, of course). "Free market" in Geopease means few if any rules for corporations, especially no restrictions on monopolies and cartels. But then that's actually market domination, not freedom. Like a free society, a genuine free market is free of, or at least protected from, major bullies. But calling pro-bullying "freedom loving" sounds much nicer.
Well said, J L! 👏
Rudy Giuliani Loses Georgia Poll Workers Defamation Lawsuit, Ordered to Pay $132,000. So much for free speach.
A paltry sum for such egregious injuries considering what Dominion received, but a win nevertheless. And like a human fist, speech can be a weapon. That weapon can be freely used in a fair fight, which peaceful protest (even by Nazis) is and which this was not. "Freedom comes with responsibilities" adults used to say when I was growing up. Why would that not hold for those in adult positions of power?
That's a part of understanding the gop 'code speak' I've mentioned Michael. With nothing concrete published or discoverable, they (GOP) are free to lie to their constituents and what published 'facts' do we have to refute their lies - how do their constituents know otherwise ? That's the useful portion of "Citizens United," for those with no honor, fully exercising their 'rights of free speech', which we learned also covers campaign lies, per the special counsel.
How many know? About 47%, if that.
The drug Co seem to have a lot of $$$$$$ for tv advertisements. They could save lots & reduce drug prices by eliminating their ads that scare me from taking any of the advertised drugs & their side effects!
Michael—and then TFG will say that he promised to lower prescription drug prices and now he alone has been able to do so. Campaign pledge delivered!<sarcasm>
That's a part of understanding the gop 'code speak' I've mentioned Michael. With nothing concrete published or discoverable, they (GOP) are free to lie to their constituents and what published 'facts' do we have to refute their lies - how do their constituents know otherwise ? That's the useful portion of "Citizens United," for those with no honor, fully exercising their 'rights of free speech', which we learned also covers campaign lies, per the special counsel.
D4N, Without taking time to research....we are a vulnerable population. Where do we go for hopfully sound info....Google, phones, news channels....magazines, newspapers...etc. If information is not sound and true....our entire lives are "messed up"....travel directions even recipe directions....Honesty has never been such a precious commodity.....along with good, solid character. It appears "brainwashing" has never been so easy to accomplish!
Exactly right Emily - we have to demand 'honor'.
Michael, Biden's support structure, press office, cabinet members and the Democratic Party bear a good deal of responsibility for the public's ignorance of their accomplishments on behalf of the American people.
Agree, though they're doing a better — but not good enough jobs — lately.
Want to bet many people who need these drugs haven't heard about Biden's policy? And they might blow it off if they did.
When people who will benefit from the government's negotiations with pharma learn that such negotiations were the result of Biden's work, on what basis did you state the 'they might blow it off...'?
I run into people who blow of ANYTHING Joe Biden does.
MSM keeps it close, not wanting the citizenry to be devoid of the “both sides” crap.
Because no Republicans voted for the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, under which the prices of ten drugs (for starters) will be reduced, it would be going too far to require the presentation of voter registration identification at pharmacies, so that registered Republicans might not take advantage of the reduced prices, something opposed by those they probably voted for. All Americans, even Republicans, should benefit ... but it's a thought, although a quidkly dismissible one.
This is the sentence that leapt out at me: "The largest drug companies spend more on payouts for investors and executives than on research and development." It is the same callous attitude that fuels anti abortion rhetoric--they do not care about life, only money.
And if you add in direct-to-consumer advertising (which is illegal in most countries and used to be here), the percentage actually invested in REAL R&D (not tweaking drugs about to lose patent protection to avoid competition, but actually creating something new and useful) is truly tiny (and shameful).
I remember not so many years ago when drug companies -- and lawyers -- were NOT allowed to advertise their medications on TV. Once their lobbyists got that changed, everything has gone to hell in a handbasket.
"Ask your doctor about "blankety blank". It can change your life!" And then they babble off a huge list of side effects their attorneys told them might protect them in a lawsuit.
What doctor wants a patient to march in demanding a specific drug? TV ads for drugs are nuts. And it's obviously paid for by you and me in the price of the drug.
The immorality of profiting off of people's illness is stunningly obvious. And here is the issue nobody wants to talk about. What is the incentive built into our system of health care system to PREVENT illness? We develop fancy drugs that cost a fortune to treat symptoms. The ad said: "You can live a normal life!" But what if all this money was invested in finding the causes? DUH? Why would we do that? Illness is a profit driver.
It's just like our for profit privately run prisons. Where is the motivation for these companies to reduce recidivism? Why would they want to hurt their business model?
“Follow the money.” That is their 1st Commandment.
As a retired physician, many times patients would come in asking for a "new miracle drug!" they'd seen advertised on TV. I would patiently explain why I was not going to prescribe that medication at that particular point at time, and why: most medications are only tested on a small group, often around 5,000 people. However, once on the market, millions of people would be exposed and unexpected, and even life-threatening, side effects could appear. I always waited two years till I'd prescribe. And then, only IF the "new" medication was actually better than what was already on the market. Sometimes it was; more often than not, it wasn't. After I took time to explain, no one ever pushed me to prescribe. Most were appreciative of my caution.
Retired and wise!
LOL
Bill, is your script based your experience, negative serotyping of this country's doctors or something else?
Generally, I have a very negative opinion of this country's healthcare system, but the doctors that I use do not conform to the script you wrote.
My "script" is based on the system itself. Our Boston area doctors are among the finest in the world. We absolutely love our PCP, dermatologist, eye doc, gastro, etc.
All dedicated. And all super frustated with the complexities of insurance billing, and the bureaucracies that tell them how long appointments should be and encourage expensive procedures and medications.
We have the best PCP we have ever had in our long lives. She is a detective. She doesn't over prescribe. She listens. She partners. And she is booking appointments out 18 months.
I asked why. She said: "Who wants to practice general family care when the money is in specialties?"
We have the best doctors money can buy. If we didn't have excellent Medicare supplement policies, we would be out of luck.
Young families without good insurance from their employers are one accident away from bankruptcy.
Hope that clarifies my post.
Thank you, Bill. I don't like putting the burden of fault mostly on the doctors. I have learned that a good number of them, along with nurses and therapists have left their professions as a result of this country's 'health-care system'. We are aware of how 'wild capitalism', so powerful in this country, punishes most Americans.
As a retired physician, many times patients would come in asking for a "new miracle drug!" they'd seen advertised on TV. I would patiently explain why I was not going to prescribe that medication at that particular point at time, and why: most medications are only tested on a small group, often around 5,000 people. However, once on the market, millions of people would be exposed and unexpected, and even life-threatening, side effects could appear. I always waited two years till I'd prescribe. And then, only IF the "new" medication was actually better than what was already on the market. Sometimes it was; more often than not, it wasn't. After I took time to explain, no one ever pushed me to prescribe. Most were appreciative of my caution.
Yup. Once again, money in politics is the root of nearly all evil.
When I am watching public affairs programing on MSNBC, commercial breaks are flooded with ads for pharmaceuticals. How much of our very over-priced medications problem the result of 'consumer demand'? There is no question that our government's policies, up until now, pharma and its lobby, health insurance companies as well as most Republicans and some Democrats are major factors at play.
You’re right, George, and everybody can look it up in the year report of, e.g., Pfizer, that only 15% of their budget goes to R&D; whereas P&R and Legal get almost triple that amount. That makes it very clear where their priorities are…
And a significant portion of the R&D spending is spent on tweaking formulas for drugs that are soon to lose patent protection to make them "new" (a practice that should be flagrantly illegal).
I wonder where they hide the payments to convince competitors not to bring off-patent drugs to the generic market? Again this should be explicitly outlawed, and the executive scum involved should be fined, jailed, and banned from the industry, but instead, the FDA looks the other way (of course, the FDA is packed with industry lobbyists everytime a GQP scumwad infests the Whitehouse).
Once again, money in politics is the root of much evil. Lobbyists should earn a lifetime ban from ANY position overseeing the industry they paid bribes to support (of course "campaign contributions" is the polite term for bribes . . .). But then, where would the GQP scum find sycophantic bottom feeders to fill their appointments????
"And a significant portion of the R&D spending is spent on tweaking formulas for drugs that are soon to lose patent protection to make them "new" (a practice that should be flagrantly illegal)."
You're right, and you're right. That practice has peeved me all the time I worked for the industry...
And often supported by public money especially in the early stages of discovery.
Which I think really should mean that the US should get a BETTER deal than other country at least for a period of time. Once again, welfare for corporations and the wealthy, rugged individualism (i.e. sink or swim) for the average citizen.
Nailed it.
“Free markets,” like free speech, have been contorted to allow the freedom to lie, manipulate, and bully with impunity, protected by a majority of Enforcers in black robes who are unimpeachable for the rest of their lives. What a perversion of our constitutional republic!
George, when Democrats are in charge again, we need to pass legislation barring the direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. We can just ask our allies to share the most effective language.
At the very least, make sure it cannot be counted as a business expense and act as a tax deduction.
Right !
For years, drug companies justified their prices because of the "fact" that other countries would not allow them to add cost due to research and development, so they HAD TO recover those costs somewhere. And the USA, they said, would be a socialist country if they interfered with big Pharma, and new drugs would not be developed, and lots of people would suffer and die. Snort. Capitalist bullshit and we were played by them like a patsy. Suckers that we were. No more!
Lots of Americans do suffer and die at the hands of the pharmaceutical price fixers. Thank you, Joe Biden for keeping your hand steady and your eyes on the prize. And voters need to understand that, because these price negotiations won’t go into effect until 2026, a Republican victory could make it all go poof!
Every single word you write is the truth.
That sentence hit me, too. What a commentary on the pharma industry.
And I for one believed they were investing in research. Years ago, our state University revamped its grant program to support pharma supported research, cutting out many smaller and innovative studies. It was the first time I had thought about where the money was going in medical research, and it made me angry.
In my experience, this is absolutely true. The business guys acted like they alone were responsible for the success of a new medication. They patted themselves on the back about their wonderful advertising/messaging/branding and gave themselves huge bonuses.
Meanwhile the physicians and scientists that did the actual work got a pittance of what the company was paying the business guys.
I always thought that the physicians who prescribed the meds did not care about all that business/advertising stuff. They wanted to see the scientific data and would make up their own minds about whether to use the drugs/vaccines/biologicals/tests/devices/etc.
Right !
If I recall correctly I think a read that they also spend more on advertising than research. Moreover, they have been neglecting research into new antibiotics even as the value of old one erodes from profligate use because there is more profit in products that need to be taken every day.
Republicans harp on how high profits are essential to support innovation in products like banking, but most of the "innovation" I have seen has been new ways to screw the customer. As for technical innovation, yes I see that progressing, but companies love settled cash cows, and technical innovation was amazing in the 20th century even before the "deregulation" fever. Radio, TV, Relativity, advanced vaccines, computers, DNA, transistors, atomic energy, communications satellites, man on Moon, etc. That was a lot of basic innovation that has been expanded into contemporary high tech. Yet companies were, for the most part better behaved., and the ones that weren't more likely to be hit by regulators.
And, add the push to get people out of the hospital sooner—which meant drugs delivered at home and not subject to regulation, not to mention measuring turnover in beds like profit measures the same way a restaurant aims at table turn…is anyone trustable???
"Follow the money", JL - always follow the money. *If that is, the SCOTUS will 'allow' you to.
You betcha
American drug prices are obscene. But not only Pharma Executives are worried. Lots of pension plans have investments in Pharma because their profits have been consistently high.
Your comment makes me wonder about the for profit health care co especially like the Medicare advantage ones who seem very aggressive in their self promotion.
It was the beloved Reagan economists who preached profits over people. The Republicans have made that more extreme with every decade. Now, it’s profits by any means, it’s ok if it’s illegal or harmful, even deadly-- see Perdue Pharma, CVS? Walgreens...
This, THIS right here -- negotiating prices for prescription drugs -- is, IMO, sufficient reason to have Joe Biden canonized a saint. The pricing of these drugs has been beyond shameful and that they can't be negotiated when every other part of Medicare and Medicaid CAN makes absolutely no sense. It is pure, unadulterated greed, greed put upon the sick and elderly in this country as WE are expected to cough up (no pun intended) the money to stay alive. And then, that Big Pharma has the sheer gall to poor-mouth it and say they need all these extra billions they're raking in for further research?!? We ALL know where those billions are going -- HCR referred to it -- to their investors and executives is where, plus probably to buying back stock and into off-shore investment accounts. And they expect us to believe their sob-story??? Maybe spend less on constant TV ads hawking their drugs with the cutesy names and catchy tunes -- something else that pisses me off as we, along with New Zealand, are the only countries on the planet that allow that. We really do have THE most effed-up medical system in the world. It is geared to absolutely nothing else but profits, health and welfare of the population be damned. We don't matter. Only the money we fork over to them is what matters to them. Biden's attempts to try and make things easier is one tiny step in the right direction. I can only hope that more giant leaps may be in the offing for the future, Big Pharma be damned.
And please . . . at every given opportunity, we HAVE to remind any- and everyone who will listen, that Republicans up and down the line, in House and Senate voted AGAINST this. They will strike it down at the first opportunity. Nothing else shows more strikingly where the bastards stand on helping the people of this country. This is their shame and we need to never let them forget it!
Now I got myself all worked up and I need to get to bed!!
I worked for the pharmaceutical industry for years, and I can confirm that money is their first priority. They are not interested in making people healthy, but keeping them sick: healthy people don’t provide them with revenue. Innovation is long gone in the big companies. They’ll simply buy a start-up with a good idea or use lawyers to get competitors out of their playing field. That mentality is the reason why I left the profession…
Only campaign finance reform can save us. Think and act on it.
Thank you Dan! You are on the money : )
How are the for profit health insurance co involved?
Damn straight, Bruce and wonderfully put. You captured the ghastly and inhumanity of the "hands tied from negotiating " policy that Big Pharma bought their GOP lackeys to implement to the proverbial "T".
I can only say to you, Job well done 👏 my friend.
Oh, and if course, GO DODGERS!!😀⚾️
Thanks. (I'm only "Liking" your first four lines of text!)
We'll see this weekend how things go, won't we? Should be fun. :-)
Fun indeed! Big sports Labor Day weekend ahead all around, including the aforementioned showdown between the Dodgers and Braves, ⚾️ the US Open 🎾and the start of the football season. (The latter 🏈 beng my least favorite sport, for what it's worth)
Take care and enjoy!
I gave him a like specifically for the last line.
You poor, misguided person . . .
Lol....
Yes! Except the Dodgers part. Go Phillies!
Tell a friend! Write a letter to the newspaper! Spread the word about what Biden stands for and what he has accomplished. And, at the same time, point out where the Republicans have come down on this issue!
I forward the Letter onto friends, and this one is so important, I printed it to mail to my eldest sister and her husband (83 & 85) who do not have a computer or smartphone. But boy do they make sure to VOTE.
Bruce, Thank you. You are one to speak the truth. Thankfully, today at the age of 71, I take no meds. I do choose to take a handful of vitamins. I am blessed for the moment.... nothing special....who knows what the next month will bring. I enjoy every day as best as possible. I love my children and grandchildren and my dear old friends and my niece, I have known for years....who do not live close but I am able to drive to be with them now that I do not work.
I have had cancer removed which the doctors and surgeons thought to be a benign lump. The joys of being human!.....so now am having regular scans.
I do think over-charging for meds is criminal especially meds necessary for everyday health, such as those who live with diabetes. Thank you Joe Biden and team!!!!
Fortunately, I don't have so many drugs I need to take . . . only a couple things for BPH (enlarged prostate), osteo-arthritis, and some low-grade pain meds for my deteriorating spine (2 fused vertebrae and severe scoliosis). All of these are available in generics, so the cost to my insurance is minimal and I only have to pay out of pocket for one of the pain meds. I know people who have it far worse with heart meds, or diabetes meds, or blood thinners, or what have you. I turn 70 next month and my doc tells me that health-wise I'm in very good shape for someone my age (*touch wood*), aside from my spine. A lot of good years of living VERY healthily did help. Skeletal issues, bones and joints, are my bête noir.
YES !
Perfectly said!
Joe Biden has taken up Bernie Sanders' mantra that health care is a human right. We need to put patients before profits, once and for all. As I wrote in the past, a small group on Cape Cod has developed a survey to show towns and cities and other entities how much they will save if we get our legislators to pass "An Act Establishing Medicare for all in Massachusetts " (2023 House bill H.1239 and 2023 Senate bill S.744). Here's what we just wrote for a progressive newsletter:
This survey only requires about 30 minutes of a Finance or Human Resources
director’s time and needs only eight data elements: the town’s budget, the
total number of employees, total payroll, the town’s cost for current
employees and retirees’ medical, dental and hearing coverage. The
calculated outputs give town savings, plus employee total and individual
average savings.
For the five Cape towns and Barnstable County government in the pilot
project, projected annual town savings differ by town size, ranging from
$1.4M for Provincetown, to $6.8M for Mashpee. The average annual savings
per employee is around $2,500, and towns would save an average of 5.4% of
their annual budget, ranging from 2.4% for Barnstable town to 10.1% for
Mashpee. To see the savings for your town, get in touch with us at
ccc4uhc@gmail.com and we will send you the spreadsheet with embedded
formulas for your town/city officials to work with. Very soon, a form
will be available on MassCare’s website (www.masscare.org) as well.
Our goal is to survey communities across the Commonwealth, aggregating the
data and compiling the results, so that we can all present these
compelling arguments to our legislators in the expectation that they will
vote these bills into law. Then these potential savings will become
actual savings for the people of Massachusetts.
First, MA, and then the rest of the country!
“The answer to our health care crisis is clear. We propose a publicly financed, non-profit single-payer national health program that would fully cover medical care for all Americans.”
Physicians for National Health Program
⬇️
https://pnhp.org/
My pet peeve is the for- profit hospital chains. Really hard to believe or accept.
Kathy, While I certainly agree with the notion of healthcare as a right and have supported the principles of PNHP, I have also been sobered by the difficulties I hear about from colleagues who work in nationalized healthcare systems in Canada and Great Britain. They are paid significantly less, there are fewer hospital beds available and wait times for what are common procedures here (in USA) are often months or even years long. All of these issues boil down to political issues where healthcare is truly nationalized and as such, those issues get determined by politicians. Sadly, I fear we have seen all too clearly what happens when we rely on political parties to manage money and budgeting issues. Some countries (Scandinavian?) seem to have managed a productive balance between healthcare as a right and the political choices necessary to support that right but there are several prominent examples of those countries which have not.
John, happens even here. I need cataract surgery in both eyes (scary!) and can not get an initial diagnostic from the specialist (my ophthalmologist already did the initial diagnosis & made the referral) until Feb 2024, the earliest they have available. No clue when the actual surgery might take place…just lots of months now to stew & worry over it!!!! Of course I live in a fairly rural area that has a dearth of specialists & even primary care docs are retiring—some putting it off way past the desired time because of community need.
Betsy, I’ve often said that if offered a public option (styled on Medicare) to their current health options, many people would choose the public option because it would be lower cost (no profit motive). Since it would operate like Medicare, there would be no need for additional personnel in doctors’ offices to handle the billing. Like Medicare, the public option would have a gap insurance available for those who don’t want such large deductibles and copays. It could work—talk to your friends about how nice it is to “graduate” into Medicare.
It "is" a human right Betsy. It certainly seems that the gop leadership's way is for us of little or lesser means to only be useful as 'cannon fodder' or "Soylent Green" in their care master plan, and sell us all for fertilizer.
Wow, Betsy.
As a Cape Cod Barnstable resident, this is thrilling news.
We desperately need to pay for more affordable housing, and every dollar saved by the town could potentially be added to that.
This news letter is yet another beauty by Heather.
As an Art History major graduating in the ‘60s, I studied too much ancient history in college; knew more about The pharaohs and Renaissance
ie Medici-Florence than what was happening in present day Cairo or Italy .....with, of course the exception of Sophia Loren.
I was an art history major graduating in the 60's too! Not one bit sorry and has stood me well.
Heather is an education every day-- I agree! best wishes.
Samm, thank you for your comment. May I suggest that you contact your state rep (Kip Diggs?) and your state senator (Julian Cyr) to tell them to vote in favor of these bills. As a French major from the '60s, I know that, like art history majors, we make excellent activists. : )
Brava, Betsy❗️ ❗️ ❗️
I’m ecstatic to see this! Three of these on this first list I currently take, and my insurance doesn’t cover them. I have to pay through the nose to get them, which is only about one-third of the time I need to be taking them.
I have read through these comments and I’m really trying to figure out why people actually think that Biden can snap his fingers and thus will happen immediately. If people will tune in sometime to a decent news network, or pay attention to some of these politicians that introduce these things and are actually able ti get something done with the bunch of Trumpublicans we have elected into these offices, you might learn what has had to be fine to get this through.
I’m going to say something else. I’ve been preaching this for months. I don’t care if Joe Biden was 109, on his deathbed. I’m voting for him, and Vice President Harris. I’m pushing to get every Republican in the House of Representatives, and the Senate replaced with a Democrat that wants to actually work for us. President Biden is doing everything he can to help us. The Trumpublicans are doing everything possible to destroy us, and this country.
If we don’t fight back, vote these morons out of office, and replace these Republican state legislators and governors, our country will be no more. Democracy will be gone. There will be no more Constitution. You won’t even be abjection walk out of your home without permission!
Thanks, Daniel. You're spot on as far as I'm concerned about Biden's ability - or lack thereof - to snap his fingers and all will be right with the world!
Lynell, Joe Biden has given his life serving in Congress and now as our President. He was exactly the VP former President Obama needed. They accomplished some great things together!.......let's continue the bend towards a better nation....rebuilding our infrastructure, more available healthcare for all, improving our schools and providing our teachers with a decent salary and the materials they need for their classrooms, caring for our environment, protecting our National Parks...clean water....teaching and demonstrating respect for one another.....etc.
Let's also remember that President Joe Biden has some amazing people working with him. He does not need to be a dictator or the center of attention...he does not badmouth his opposition but attempts to work with everyone for the success of our Democracy..."for the people"....not for his glory....
Our world is a better place because of him and his positive connection with world leaders. Just as leaders are beginning to experience hope for a world that can function together inspite of our differences....we cannot let this good work end....we must keep working for a better planet where we can work together.....in this way, we can accomplish the most good for everyone....we can solve more problems concerning poverty....food and medical care, clean air and education for more children....jobs will be created to continue to meet these needs. Please lets work together to keep the good going and be constantly aware of those who want to destroy this planet home for short term gain......together, we can do better!!!!
Emily, well said. I imagine running for public office, especially President, one has to have a certain amount of ambition and ego and confidence. That said, there are those, and I believe Biden is one of them, who listens to a higher calling and throws everything he has into being a “public servant”…not for self aggrandizement, but to effect real, positive, change. I really believe what he says when he indicates he want to represent “us all”…not just those who agree with him for the greater good. That he is humble and knowledgeable enough to know he alone cannot do it all and surrounds himself with the best & brightest AND listens to them is the mark of an excellent leader. I imagine he is tired and, had the political landscape not been so dangerous and fraught, he might be enjoying an activity filled retirement….no, instead he saw a country on the precipice and stepped in with his years of experience, wisdom and diplomacy to keep up from sliding down that slippery authoritarian slope. Will he get it 100% right, no, of course not—who does? But we can all be sure he has our backs….just as, for me, I have his & his administration’s.
Emily, you are absolutely correct about all of this.
If you recall, when 🍓 🤡 took office from President Obama in 2017, he immediately abolished everything that had been accomplished, with the exception of Obamacare. That he couldn’t screw with, or wasn’t able to screw with it. But he, and his majority House of Representatives and majority Senate were able to abolish everything else. All of the trade agreements, our standing with NATO, and all of our allies were all abolished. He even went as far to stop trade altogether with a total embargo! This is when our farmers list everything. We had thousands of farmers Lise their farms and livelihoods because of this. This is when we had food disappearing from the store shelves because we couldn’t get any imported. On the same hand, the food our producers were exporting was being dumped into the oceans because it sat in the ships and finally rotted, or the animals died from starvation.
This is just one example of the chaos caused by Frumpy and his band of Republicans in the Congress.
The same goes for the gas prices we are paying today. This is a result of his negotiations/ties with Saudi Arabia.
If you recall, he, and son-in-law Kirchner made a deal with them on how much oil we would purchase over (I think) the next ten years. Thus is what increased the gas prices because they allowed the Saudi’s to set the price on the oil they sold to us! And, as we all know, after we get it, we have to prices it, which costs money to do, which also increased the price of the gasoline!
So, 🍓 🤡 screwed us, big time! In the meantime, he’s making millions hand over ghat from his dealing with Saudi Arabia and with Putin!
Yay, Emily...spot on to you, too!
And the Electoral College?
Needs to be abolished.
So, who's going to abolish it?
Sadly, it’s got to be done via the amendment process.
OK (why am I not surprised?) Who starts the process? Who agitates until the process is started? Between gerrymander and electoral college, the country is stuck in the dark ages. When I think of the talent pool and intellectual might of America, apparently powerless in the grip of a (relative) handful of politicians, for want of a better word to describe those backwoodsmen!
I'd like to see a lot more reporting on the Heritage Foundation's goals for the next Republican administration rather than on who can beat Joe Biden. Any Republican in the White House will be the death of our republic.
Yes...let's open the windows and turn the lights on these secretive "think tanks" and show the entire country their real goals.
What needs to happen to every Republican in office now, be it state, local, federal, needs to be removed from office as quickly as we can vote them out. Since we can’t impeach them after electing them.
By the way, that brings up a point I’ve been wanting to air out.
Why is there not a provision in the Constitution that says we the people can’t impeach an elected official if he/she isn’t performing their duties as they were elected to do. These people were elected by us, to serve as our representatives in the state, local, or federal offices which they were elected to serve. They were “hired” by us. We need to have the ability to “fire” them if they dint perform their duties. Not have to wait 4 or 6 years to vote them out of office.
Happy to hear that will directly improve your situation, Daniel!
I agree with you on Biden. It is nothing short of ageism. Or are there people who just wouldn't want a black/Asian/female POTUS, should Biden become infirm/die, and this is an "out" to keep from admitting it?? If he truly showed cognitive disorders, I would hope his Cabinet would invoke the 25th. If he died, our Constitution is clear on what happens, as we saw (many of us, at least) when LBJ took the oath.
Thank you! I was soooo happy to see the WP actually praise Bidenomics today on two front page articles. Finally, a complete review of the IRA, stating it will forever change people’s lives for the good, and in it, a subtle smear on Joe Manchin’s part in limiting the extent of that success, as well as a damning report on Black Lung disease , where his state is #1. Maybe the WP has finally heard the relentless message from subscribers ….enough of “old Joe”… talk about the economy, stupid! Joe Biden’s administration has pulled off a miracle in rebuilding this economy in spite of a coo-coo House and silly Senate. This latest drug “deal” cinches his respect for the middle and lower earners. Please, fellow commentators, no more Joe bashing. Get out the vote! As he said clearly “Don’t compare me to the Almighty. Compare me to the alternative!
Sydney Morning Herald today had an "old Joe" headline. Next time I get a message asking why I don't subscribe, I'll tell them.
It's not just Australia. Axios published a poll yesterday about Democrats bashing Biden's age while Trump supporters haven't budged.
😡
I can't recall which reader it was who asked us all to write to WP about a week ago, and complain at the lack of reporting on the positives of Biden's administration.
Maybe we made a difference? Power to the people! Let's replace that 4 letter group (MAGA) with another one: LFAA !!
Drug companies will do what gun manufacturers did to get around gun laws....tweak the formula and change the name and go back to high prices. If Medicare can negotiate now, it should be able to negotiate all drugs, not just ten by name. It should be by category or common usage, so that negotiations can roll over to new drugs. And it shouldn't wait until 2026, which negates all the publicity and Democrat advantage before this next crucial election.
These 10 are the beginning because they are expensive and essential for so many
And I'm guessing this was the best the administration could negotiate given the opposition.
That's my thought too. It's a starting place.
As was reported, President Biden’s team selected the 10 taken by the most Americans that were the most expensive. This is what they were able to negotiate with the ‘Big Pharma’ groups. We need to quit bitching about this and take what is given. This is steps that have been trying to be accomplished for over 20 years, and finally, President Biden has ‘broken the ice’ and is starting to get things done.
I don’t understand why people think he can snap his fingers and miracles happen. He is fighting for us, which I might as, is quite the contrary of what was happening the previous administration!
Right now, today, we are suffering higher food, oil, gas, prices than we’ve ever had because of the deals Trump made with the Saudi’s government and his embargo that crippled our food supply, and farmers.
So, I truly suggest we all get behind President Biden and Vice President Harris and let them stay in position to try to finish getting this country back on the track it needs to be on!
It should be pointed out that the basic research on which the pharmaceutical industry bases its work is done or funded by the NIH, which is taxpayers' money. The industry develops drugs, it does NOT do research. A recognition of this would go a long way to justify - not that we need additional justification - the regulation of drug prices. It is amazing to me that this is poorly recognized by many people.
Not entirely true… The industry does develop drugs as well, but that’s mostly done by start-ups nowadays. The big companies don’t want to risk their money (it might peeve the shareholders) so they just go out and buy those who have a promising lead.
About 25 years ago (best I can remember), my partner was hired to manage a project to build a lab for a major drug company. They had a hot new drug which he was told would make the pains of old age go away. He was very excited about the prospects for the drug, and the project was finished on time, even though the ground was so contaminated that workers had to wear hazmat gear. The drug was manufactured and hit the market in what seemed record time. But the results were scary. Strokes were prominent and there were lots of abdominal complications. A prominent athlete nearly died. I just checked, and the drug is still on the market with multiple cautions. We are old enough to need it, but it never crosses our minds.
Thanks for sharing that story! Do you perhaps know the name of that drug? I would like to look into that one...
I hesitated to name it, because I don't know what kinds of confidentiality were signed, but you can look up Celebrex
Huh?? That's a COX-2-inhibitor. How and why would that be used for a sort of "anti-aging" therapy?? I find that quite a drastic method...
Maybe I was being a little obtuse. It was supposed to put an end to arthritic pain.
AGREE Alan, however, I would adjust just one word: I would encourage us to "negotiate" rather than "regulate" drug prices. Regulated pricing rarely works out well in the long run but negotiating what we'll pay allows us and the industry to respond much more quickly to changes in the market as well as the economy. We need to balance both, capitalism restrained by government for the people.
I agree. Negotiate is much better, as long as we negotiate with some teeth.
Yes. Negotiating the way Dubya did was essentially worthless. Costly, even.
Agreed 2!
Why 2026 and not sooner?
Amy Klobuchar was interviewed about this earlier today on NPR.
And on MSNBC. She was on there almost 30 minutes going over all this process.
Do you have a link to this interview? I can only get the NPR interview.
TIA.
I believe she was on “Morning Joe”, but honestly I don’t remember. I’ll see if I can find it.
Lynn, I have searched until I found this! It was in the Morning Joe program on MSNBC. Here’s the link to it, and I’m adding links to other reports as well.
https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/u-s-announces-first-10-drugs-for-medicare-price-negotiation-191796293630
https://news.yahoo.com/biden-blasts-gop-voting-against-034306574.html
https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=0EEB7F3E-A95D-4303-B70D-F74DA9ABBF01
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/08/30/what-they-are-saying-elected-officials-labor-leaders-aging-advocates-health-and-advocacy-groups-and-more-applaud-administrations-prescription-drug-announcement/
https://www.kimt.com/news/klobuchar-says-medicare-negotiation-break-thru-was-years-in-the-making/article_6d618ec8-466c-11ee-8794-cf9022d4e5cb.html
https://www.kunc.org/2023-08-29/sen-klobuchar-was-among-those-fighting-to-lower-drug-prices-for-medicare-recipients
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/29/1195984752/medicare-drug-price-negotiations
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/biden-makes-lower-drug-prices-a-centerpiece-of-his-2024-campaign/
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/30/us/politics/biden-medicare-drug-prices-2024-campaign.html
https://theweek.com/drugs/1026149/medicare-drug-negotiations-begin
Hope all these helps you better understand this mess.
Wow! Thanks, Daniel.
Glad to help. I hope some of those help.
Karin Kelsey, Klobuchar didn't mention the huge delay in reducing drug costs. This is a glaring problem. We're just supposed to be grateful that finally, something is being done about excessive drug pricing?
My guess is this delay was necessary to get some on board. Think how much the pharma industry has to spend on politicians …
And, how huge the Big Pharma commercial market is, think McKesson, think Cardinal. CVS & other retail outlets are deeply involved as well.
Good to see the start with the ten (10) prescriptions impacting Millions of Patient's Pocket Books. As an attorney, I have done over 30 years of pro bono work sorting out prescription billing abuse & related medical insurance hassles.
Kudos to HCR to focus on this major historical step forward for Consumers.
I heard her address the delay.
I want to know the details too. The delay means that too many voters won’t give Biden any credit for this and that Republicans and corporate Democrats may be able to prevent it from taking effect.
Bravo Biden Harris! Continuing a legacy of helping strengthen the American middle class.
On another note, The proud Boys leadership sentencing is tomorrow. The boys are looking at 30+ years for seditious conspiracy. 33 for Mr Tarrio! I hope we can send him an 300 lbs orange skinned roommate by next spring.
It will be nice for him to be with someone who loves him. If that's what was meant by "We" love you.
Lock them up!
How did this PB escape to Belarus and get asylum to be used in anti American propaganda? His name is Evan Neumann
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/23/evan-neumann-belarus-capitol-riot-asylum-ukraine/
Good grief! Doesn't think he did anything wrong while he was peacefully sightseeing, with his battering ram etc. Something tells me he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. A year ago, eh? "“Today I have mixed feelings,” Neumann told BelTA in the report aired Tuesday. “I am glad Belarus took care of me. I am upset to find myself in a situation where I have problems in my own country.” Belarus? That's where Prigozhin went during his brief "banishment". And THEY worry about the Mexicans getting in!
https://apple.news/A7M2MVrzUQ3io4PUzXJSORQ
Curious if anyone knows why was Tarrio the only PB leader ordered to leave DC prior to J6? Why were other leaders allowed to stay in DC for J6? It makes no sense.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/30/trump-sentencing-proud-boys-capitol-riot/a06dcb96-46ea-11ee-b76b-0b6e5e92090d_story.html
I believe he was only one charged in the incident of burning a flag from an Black church congregation from the Dec 2020 rally PB had in DC and prohibition from DC was part of court proceeding conditions
That’s it. 🙏Marie
Here! Here! for the Biden Administration. Many years ago when my daughter had to regularly use an asthma medication, which cost $300 without insurance, we were in Germany and I had not been able to get it the day we left because the insurance company would not release it in time for us to get it before going to the airport. So I had a friend pick it up and mail it the next day. It got caught in German customs and was taking a long time, so when she was about to be out I had her doctor fax a prescription to the local pharmacist after we figured out what the comparable drug was in German, and it was going to cost me 30€ our of pocket. Now I am in Germany and my eyelid swoll up a couple of nights ago. It feels okay, but looks swollen. So, yesterday on my way to a cafe, I stopped by a pharmacy and had the pharmacist recommend something. She recommended a salve that has some antibiotic in it. A tube cost me 12€. I cannot imagine what I would be paying for it in the USA, but I imagine more. Also, the German student health insurance that we got our daughter, which is private because she cannot be in the public insurance system until next year, costs us 69 € a month for her to have full coverage, including medications including birth control and all doctor, dental, eye care visits, including hospitalizations. This is her coverage with the pre existing condition of asthma. The public health insurance which has to take everyone costs even less.
Has your eye gone down?
Medicare Part D included the ban on negotiation. It was Big Pharma's must have to make the deal. Remember the whistleblower who gave the estimate of the true cost, (half a billion?) and Republicans wanted it buried? To pass it, they held voting open past the deadline to twist Sununu's arm to vote for it. It has been a boondoggle. I'm out way more money for drugs than I was under private insurance who paid 90% of cost before 2005. We pay a premium for Part D, have a big deductible, plus ever over 7 m9nths of me paying 100% before insurance kicks in.
I agree, Cindi. I have never paid as much for medications or a prescription drug plan as I pay with a Part D Medicare plan.
I’m 82 now and opted not to sign up for Part D at 65, as did my husband.I really didn’t need it, and anything Bush was pushing was not to anyone’s advantage. Now my 88 year old husband is taking six different, expensive drugs ( for good reasons) and out of necessity is paying a the penalty. I have had to research on-line every time I receive a new RX for best price. The last two were for “dry eye” and were so high as to be laughable ($800+ & $600+); needless to say, I opted for OTC products. These particular drugs would have still required a large amount to be paid even with Part D. It makes me furious to watch ads on TV for them, as it does to see the perky, gift-bearing Pharma reps in doctors’ offices when I go in. In talking to health insurance broker, I need to get Part D now and pay start paying penalty before I need as many RX’s as my husband now does. What Biden is doing for this country is more than wonderful, but certainly wish we didn’t have to wait three years. Aren’t any MAGAS on Medicare? Or parents of Republican politicians?
When I went on Medicare I was taking no drugs at all, so I skipped picking up Part D. The very next year, I picked up the Part D but I had to cough up a monthly penalty that almost doubled the standard premium for Part D and I will have to pay this for for the rest of my life.
More than 5 years later, I was put on a common diuretic and a tiny dose of thyroid medication. I'm still paying the standard deduction, plus that penalty amount, plus the co-pay for my minor medications. Please explain to me how my ONE year of not taking Part D hasn't been more than made up in 5 or 6 years!!! Ridiculous.
You can thank George W. Bush for that. I suspect it's not a problem for him.
maybe not yet....
I'm only 6 months in, but this is my experience as well. Thankfully, I am on very few prescription meds (for now) but still, it is ridiculous.
And at any time they can send you a letter saying they no longer cover a drug you have been taking. You sign up for a Part D based on whether the plan’s formulary covers your meds...but then remove your med(s) from the formulary... and you pay 100%. That should be illegal.
IN the year before I went on Medicare, an older friend who was told me that she used "GoodRx" for some of her meds, that it was cheaper than using Medicare. I am only on one med that costs me $4 for 90 days, so it doesn't help me. I recall a discussion about Medicare vs GoodRx at the break table but don't recall all the details of the benefit vs disadvantage of using it.
I have been using Good RX for several years, but suddenly they have changed their plan. You have to sign up and first prescription is ridiculously cheap and then prices go up. I use to be able to check out the one I needed and see price at the different pharmacies and just go get it. I’m at a loss of what to do after reading some of your comments. We have run into some of the newer drugs not being covered fully by Part D. Much needs to be done for Americans to be able to receive what is necessary for healing or comfort.
We saw this on the CBS Evening News. They displayed the logos of the drugs included. Most of them were immediately familiar since they advertise so heavily on major network news programs.
I don’t watch much broadcast TV but the rare times that I do, all the ads are for drugs. There’s never any mention of what they are for - “Ask your doctor” - and lots of images of people who obviously are not suffering from whatever ailments these wonder drugs are supposed to cure. I wonder if a less than scrupulous doctor would prescribe a certain med because a patient asked about it and there was some financial gain for the doctor by prescribing it.
Marg, I am a recently retired family doc and remember when the advertising began. The "ask your doctor" is annoying and aimed at brand recognition. About the time the TV ads began many practices banned drug reps, so some info was aimed at physicians. I remember my family listening to the litany of side effects vowing they would never take that med. I also remember how many patients struggled to afford insulin, inhalers or drug thinners that were often life or death meds. This is a very good change in Medicare and, hopefully, will also provide some help to the uninsured/underinsured as well.
I will never forget working in the lab of a major medical center in a large urban area. Each sample had about a 60 character space for the diagnosis or complaint. A patient came in the ER and had an astronomical Glucose level. Dx: "can't afford the medicine"
A patient of mine died when he was rationing his insulin to save money. So tragic.
I don't want to "Like" that, but I get it. Like you, I saw a lot of tragic stories in my years in healthcare.
😥🤦♀️
“Moderate or severe plaque psoriasis” or “lowering my A1C” seems to be the mantras I overhear on TV as my wife watches true crime shows.
Diabetes is nearly a health crisis in the US, so the A1C is not a surprise to me.
Yes. Wondering if there’s a “kickback” to the prescribing Dr. which is actually illegal.
They get other benefits, like fully paid trips (like Thomas!) to attractive destinations, their names on professional publications, etc. Seen Painkiller on Netflix?
Ya think?
"This plan is a key part of Bidenomics, my economic vision for growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up -- not the top down," Biden said, "And it's working."
And it's working.
What does not, however, seem to be working is the American psyche. Aided by mass media, all that the population can do is complain that Biden is "too old" to be president, while many still prefer a deranged criminal in the same age group with behavior patterns that threaten his own life -- and theirs. And life on Earth.
The President has a hard job building bridges back to relative sanity and laying foundations for a livable future.
If FDR had been as visible as today's politicians, would he have been mauled daily by all mass media? Or...?
Those were other Americans, other times, other mores. Today, the threat to democracy comes from without, above all from within. Democracy and the survival of democratic institutions depend on an educable public and responsible sources of information.
We shall soon be seeing whether those still exist in the United States of America.
Some readers "like" my comment.
I don't like it, neither do I like the reality that prompted it.
If only people would wake up from stupid dreams and stupider ideas, beliefs and prejudices! Wake up to something more like reality...
In yesterday's Soviet Union, ordinary people trusted the US Constitution, trusted American institutions.
After years of lies, lies and homegrown sabotage, credulous Americans gawp at infotainment and entertaining charlatans... and cheer while their pockets are picked...
The “Kardashian/Limbaugh” syndrome, Peter.
While I am so sick of Trump 24/7, the only itsy bitsy silver lining is that the entire Kardashian crew seems to have dropped almost out of sight.
Your comment about the American psyche and the media influence that is shaping it is spot on. As you note, several of us "like" your comment, and although you don't like either the comment or the reality that prompted it, it does resonate with us. I agree, and sure wish that people could "...wake up from stupid dreams and stupider ideas, beliefs and prejudices! Wake up to something more like reality..." Not just that, but to start taking an active role in life and stop the mindless feeding of garbage coming in through propaganda driven sources.
I keep remembering some of the more idiotic things I saw as a schoolkid, like a bunch of eleven-year-old boys charging around and chanting "We-all-say-so-therefore-it-must-be-true!!!"
Clicking the “like” button because you’re absolutely right….