Medicare

A little sampling of blogger reactions to yesterday's Senate vote scuttling an attempt to allow cheaper prescription drugs to be imported from Canada.

David Sirota: "How Many 'Free Trade' Senators Can PhRMA Turn Into Corporate Protectionists?"

Down With Tyranny: "Yesterday the Senate nixed the proposal to allow consumers to import prescription drugs from Canada and other advanced countries. It failed 49-40 with 15 mostly corporate Democrats who take big money from Big Pharma joining 33 crooked Republicans to do what their corporate masters demanded."

Blue Mass Group: "This is PhRMA's world; we just live in it. Pay up."

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I spoke too soon on Friday, when I heralded a Senate vote denying a filibuster on allowing drug imports from Canada, where costs are lower.

Yesterday, Big Pharma struck back, winning a vote inserting a disingenuous provision, only allowing imports if the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifies the imports are safe and will lower costs.

And everyone knows President Bush won't have his secretary do that, no matter what the facts are. more »

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There is more evidence that partially privatizing Medicare is currently hurting our seniors.

Private insurers already have been given a role in delivering Medicare coverage. In addition to private companies providing "Part D" prescription drug coverage, seniors can enroll in "Medicare Advantage"—private plans that supposedly save money.

But back in December, Families USA (PDF file) found the opposite was true.

...private plans reduce costs by recruiting the youngest and healthiest beneficiaries, a practice known as “cherry-picking.” The result is extreme overpayments to the private managed care plans ...

...In 2005 alone, taxpayers lost $2.7 billion in overpayments [while i]nsurance companies that sell Medicare Advantage plans are substantially overpaid to market their plans...

And Monday, The New York Times reported that some insurance companies are engaging in unethical marketing practices, getting seniors to sign up for plans with higher co-payments than traditional government-administered Medicare.

It also reports:

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More evidence of how partially privatizing Medicare is currently hurting our seniors, in today's New York Times.

Private insurers already have been given a role in delivering Medicare coverage. In addition to private companies providing "Part D" prescription drug coverage, seniors can enroll in "Medicare Advantage" -- private plans that supposedly save money. more »

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Ten white guys in dark suits and bright ties to answer questions. Three white guys in dark suits and bright ties to ask them. Stale ideas fit the staid image at the first Republican presidential debate last night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. MSNBC should have broadcast the event in black and white. The Gipper himself would have felt at home.

What do these monochromatic candidates offer? Without exception, war and more war. No exit from Iraq. New confrontation with Iran, with only former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani mumbling a hint of caution. For former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, brandishing his newborn wing-nut credentials, it’s war not just against al Qaeda, Iraq and Iran, but against Shia and Sunni, Hezbollah and Hamas and more. Wartime for America.

All this is done while invoking Ronald Reagan’s sunny optimism. But they’ve forgotten Reagan’s basic caution. more »

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Senators trying to drive down prescription drug costs failed to break a drug industry-backed conservative filibuster when the issue was empowering Medicare to negotiate.

But yesterday, they successfully broke an attempted filibuster on allowing cheaper drugs to be imported from Canada.

Rejoicing may be premature, however. more »

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