Trade Deal Targets Medicare, New Leak Reveals

[FreakinDJ]

Trade Deal Targets Medicare, New Leak Reveals

For the second time in a week, Medicare is complicating an already fraught debate over the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

A recent draft of the health care transparency section of TPP released by Wikileaks on Wednesday reveals the deal would make Medicare vulnerable to legal challenges from pharmaceutical companies and jeopardize future attempts by the insurer to negotiate lower drug prices.

In a modest victory for global health care advocates, however, the leaked draft does not contain previous language explicitly protecting prescription drug prices from being marked down by government insurers.


“The language previously was a little more specifically designed to attack the reimbursement rates” of government drug insurance programs, Maybarduk told The Huffington Post. “Now it is more about process rather than outcomes,” but the intent to undermine government drug price negotiation remains the same.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/10/tpp-medicare-leak_n_7555232.html

[Autumn]

1. Well that sucks. We seem to be damned if we do and

damned if we don't.

[PSPS]

6. No, it's only damned if we do.

There really is little or no upside to this travesty.

[AllyCat]

8. There is an upside....

...for the oligarchs.

[erronis]

16. And we can all be Oilygarchs! Just work hard, don't complain

And be born into the right family.

[L0oniX]

18. Everyone can join the oligarchy. That's what the loto is for.

[ruffburr]

2. A simple solution-

Just say NO , I finally agree with Nancy Raygun.

[Jake2413]

3. How can anyone who calls themselves a Democrat support this

it is beyond me.....

[Hydra]

4. What they are calling a Democrat is really strange lately n/t

[Marr]

5. Funny how Jeb Bush was recently talking about cutting Medicare, and revealed a huge,

bubble-grown disconnect with average people, who actually like Medicare.

And yet our whole establishment, Republican and Democrat alike, seem to be on the same page with things like this. It's almost like the work for the same interests.

[jalan48]

7. Wasn't Obama all giddy over working with the Republicans on the chained CPI?

[hifiguy]

10. Of course.

He has been a fine friend of the oligarchs since the day be was sworn in.

[hifiguy]

23. The Clintons were certainly lavishly rewarded for

the wildly profitable services Bill provided to the plutocratic class: banking deregulation, NAFTA and the Telecom Act. I am sure Obama noticed and wants in on some of that action. He sure as hell doesn't want to be building houses for charity with Jimmy Carter.

And if he's really lucky he will be invited to become an honorary member of the Bush Crime Family, like Bill and Hill have.

[L0oniX]

13. ...and now our/their party is chosing another oligarchy friend.

[Cleita]

9. Well, old people. I guess we get to go die in a ditch with the feral cats.

Something I don't need to hear in my old age when I don't have the time, resources or strength to fight this.

[erronis]

15. Mass graves.

[L0oniX]

17. The TPP oligarchy will have us being burried in China...

cause it's cheaper and they don't mind the pollution.

[Cleita]

19. Hell, no. They will just dessicate us and burn us for fuel in their factories. eom

[hifiguy]

25. Yep.

An extensive, yet passive culling of the herd has been on the boards ever since War Criminal (and BFF of Hillary Clinton, don't ever forget that, kids!) Henry Kissinger let the cat out of the bag and started talking about the need to reduce the number of useless eaters on the planet some 40 years ago. Destroy the social safety net and simply neglect people to death - creating the conditions for starvation, rampant disease and lack of shelter to do their work is dirt cheap, unlike spendy and attention-grabbing concentration/extermination camps.

Let the magic of the market facilitate the planned die-off!!!

[L0oniX]

11. Damn the oligarchy drug dealers!

[Zorra]

14. TPP = TOTAL PLANET PRIVATIZATION!

[jwirr]

20. Legalese. Please explain how this is going to work?

[FreakinDJ]

21. You can read the linked article

They explained it pretty well there

[jwirr]

24. Thank you. It would appear that when it comes to drugs we are not going to be able to work to

keep the costs down. I already have a grandson who needs a pill that will cost $1000 for each pill. The insurance is saying no even though he can die from the problem.

What I really do not understand is why they are doing this when it can really hurt the ACA by raising drug costs. All the Rs need is a reason to get rid of it. This could be it.

Oh, that's right this is targeting Medicare not ACA. To bad for the elderly.

[Vinca]

22. The fact Medicare can't negotiate drug prices now is absolutely ridiculous.

In fact, it's negligence on the part of the Congress to require Medicare to buy drugs without negotiating. The TPP is only adding fuel to an already burning fire.

[L0oniX]

26. We have to invade Canada to get the same drugs for half the price.