White House threatens veto of drug price bill (Medicare prgm negotiations)

[babylonsister]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2007-04-17T163943Z_01_N17411781_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDICARE-CONGRESS.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

White House threatens veto of drug price bill
Tue Apr 17, 2007 12:40pm

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House threatened on Tuesday to veto a Senate bill proposing to allow the U.S. government to negotiate prices for prescription drugs under the Medicare program.

The Senate was expected to begin discussing the bill on Tuesday afternoon but it was unclear whether Democratic sponsors had enough support to end debate and move to a vote later in the week.

In a statement, the White House said the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Senate bill "would have a negligible effect on federal spending and provide no substantial savings to the government or Medicare beneficiaries."

President George W. Bush previously vowed to veto the House of Representatives version of the bill. It has tougher language that would require -- not just allow -- direct negotiation of prices by the government with drug companies.

Medicare is a national health insurance program that covers more than 40 million elderly and disabled Americans. It was expanded at the beginning of 2006 to add a prescription drug benefit provided by dozens of private companies.

The legislation expanding Medicare was approved when Republicans controlled Congress and prohibited the government from negotiating drug prices with manufacturers, such as Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co. Inc. or Eli Lilly and Co..

Democrats, who won back control of Capitol Hill in the last election, say government negotiations would save money both for the federal budget and for older Americans by helping get the lowest drug prices possible. They note that the Department of Veterans Affairs is allowed to negotiate and gets cheaper prices for some drugs than Medicare programs.

But many Republicans, drug makers and other opponents say such a move would limit patient choices and do little to trim prices. Medicare officials also say drug coverage is working fine now and is costing less than expected.

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.

[DCKit]

1. Good for Bush. Hasn't anyone else seen those commercials sponsered by Pharma?

It's obvious that they know what's best for us.

Wouldn't it be a hoot if the whole medicare drug plan (you know, the one THEY wrote) blew up in their faces and we got cost controls like the Canadians?

[youngdem]

2. They are beneath contempt. I do sometimes wonder if they are trying to set low poll number records

I mean Jesus H. Christ, how do you spin not allowing medicare to negotiate better drug prices for taxpayers, especially when the VA already does it?

:eyes:


Jan 2009 cannot come soon enough.

[babylonsister]

3. Jan 09 seems so very far away to me, too.

:(

[meldroc]

4. This is the result of the GOP's policies promoting a free market.

Ok, I'm sorry, I tried to say that with a straight face...

Lemme run through it in my head again... Free market, fixed drug prices, free market, fixed drug prices... Doesn't compute!!!!

[babylonsister]

5. Sadly, it computes for me. Gawd forbid we take any coins out of

big pharma's profits, and their lobbyists, and the relection campaigns of some senators. :mad:
It's amazing to think of the damaging shit the veto pen is going to.

[damntexdem]

6. The Dems need to pass bills and tell Dubya to go to hell.

Let him veto; let GOPers uphold the vetos. But keep doing the right thing. Until Dubya and his crew are out, there will be no real relief; but they, and enough Congressional Rethugs, won't be out unless the American people see the Dems doing what they should do.