Republicans Use Filibuster to Block Lower Drug Prices for Medicare

 Remember when, last year, the Republicans told us the filibuster was evil?  Well, that's all over now and the filibuster is good,  good they say when they are using it to block Medicare from getting decent prices from drug companies!

Republicans assure us that the market is taking care of us through private insurers, you know those guys who charge you and the government an arm and a leg for health insurance and then deny you needed coverage. Yeah, those guys.

Excerpt New York Times article "Bill to Let Medicare Negotiate Drug Prices Is Blocked ":

“The Department of Veterans Affairs is able to negotiate for lower-priced drugs,” said the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada. “H.M.O.’s can negotiate. Wal-Mart can negotiate. Why in the world shouldn’t Medicare be able to do that?”

The 2003 Medicare law prohibits Medicare from negotiating drug prices, setting prices or establishing a uniform list of covered drugs, known as a formulary.

Mr. Reid said the Democrats fell short today because of “the power of the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry” and their close ties to Republicans in Congress.

 

tags: medicare  prescription drugs  drug prices  congress  democrats  republicans  

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