No Reason for This--Other Than Greed,' Says Sanders as GAO Shows Medicare Pays Twice as Much [View all]

[turbinetree]

VA for Same Drugs

Published on
Thursday, January 14, 2021
by Common Dreams

"We can no longer allow the pharmaceutical industry to rip-off the more than 40 million people who receive prescription drug coverage through Medicare Part D and fleece U.S. taxpayers."

by Jake Johnson, staff writer

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A new report commissioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders shows that Medicare Part D in 2017 paid twice as much as the Department of Veterans Affairs for the same prescription medicines, a finding the Vermont senator characterized as further evidence of the need to "take on the greed" of Big Pharma and empower the federal government to negotiate drug prices.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) study (pdf) released Thursday found that in a "sample of 399 brand-name and generic prescription drugs, the V.A. paid an average of 54% less per unit than Medicare, even after taking into account rebates and discounts."

The report found that the VA paid at least 50% less for 233 of the 399 drugs examined, and at least 75% less for 106 of the medicines.

"The programs pay for drugs differently," the GAO explains. "Medicare reimburses the Part D plan sponsors to pay pharmacies, but the VA buys drugs directly from manufacturers. The V.A. may be able to get lower prices because it can... negotiate as a single health system with a unified list of covered drugs [and] use discounts defined by law that Medicare doesn't have."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/14/no-reason-other-greed-says-sanders-gao-shows-medicare-pays-twice-much-va-same-drugs

Well we will see with a new congress in town who someone is for, people like me on a limited budget Medicare Part D or the drug companies.............