The banks and auto makers asked (and received) bailouts.

[ColbertWatcher]

Poll question: The banks and auto makers asked (and received) bailouts.

Please note, I'm not saying it would be likely, nor am I suggesting that it would ever happen, this is all purely hypothetical.

Which healthcare-related industry would piss you off more if it asked for a bailout?

Oh, and just for fun, what do you think should be the government's response if the industry ever does ask for a bailout?

[Statistical]

1. Pharma won't ask for a bailout.

They may try to get patent protection system changed (to their benefit).

They will need to "spin it" bailout-like.

They will say "it is to protect jobs. Without this protection we will need to layoff people which will hurt the economy.

[ColbertWatcher]

3. None of them will, which is why I made the question hypothetical.

I just thought it would be interesting to see what others on DU thought it would be like if any of them had the balls to ask for one.

[CoffeeCat]

7. Is Pharma in trouble?

I hadn't heard that big Pharma wasn't doing well.

Are any of the big pharm companies in trouble?

[Statistical]

9. Nah they are just fine.

Sitting on big buckets of cash the size of dump trucks.

Every couple years Big Pharma tries a campaign to change the patent/generic rules.

I could see them using the economic crisis & the threat of layoffs (unless govt "helps them out with some new rules) to get changes made.

Even without changes paid Big Pharma is fine.

They are very well run companies. I worked for a company that made software for many of the top 20 Pharma companies.
Everyone assumes they are greed, fat, and slow but that isn't the truth.

They are very greedy and very aggressive. They battle each other over the smallest changes in marketshare.
They fight for every dollar.

[susanna]

2. Insurance companies...

...though I would like to vote for both HMOs and Insurance, being two halves of the same monstrosity. That said, pharma does not actively deny care in the same way as the parent Insurers and HMOs.

My .02.

[thunder rising]

6. A shame....as crooked as they are to honest to beg for a handout. .... the worm has turned

[OhioChick]

4. This is a tough one....

I'd have to say it's tied.

[thunder rising]

5. And my mortgage just jumped to 10% ... 'cause banks don't trust themselves. So, I pay because they

are crooks.

[flvegan]

8. ANY of them.

[Somawas]

10. You left out hospitals.

So many douchehammers and only one vote. Unfair.