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Keeping prescription drug costs in mind when voting

For far too long, Americans have paid more for prescription drugs than any major economy.  And while the pharmaceutical industry makes record profits, millions of Americans are forced to choose between paying for medications they need to live or paying for food, rent, and other basic necessities.

Whenever attempts have been made to reign in drug prices, Republicans side with the drug company executives who insist that high prices are necessary to create an incentive for drug companies to innovate, as their investment in research and development depends on the revenue they expect from new drugs.  But congressional investigation has found that the largest drug companies spend more on payouts for investors and executives than on research and development.  Any new drugs rely on scientific discoveries from research funded by taxpayers, while drug companies’ R&D spending often focuses on minor changes to extend patent protection and block lower-priced competitors.

In 2022, Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act without a single Republican vote.  That law permits the government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies over drug prices the government will pay.  Medicare has been given the green light to negotiate prices for the top ten most expensive drugs. If President Biden is re-elected, he plans to continue lowering the cost of medications by increasing the number of drugs that Medicare can negotiate prices.

When you go to vote, think about which party is more likely to look for solutions to reduce the high cost of health care in America.

Johnnie Ellington

Statham

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5 Comments


The senile idiot that has destroyed the southern border is definitely keeping the cost of Fentanyl down.

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AND KEEP INFLATION IN MIND AS WELL. A major cause of high drug prices is the government requirements which make developing new drugs horrendously expensive. So, if you want the fox to guard the hen house, count on government to reduce the costs which it mandates.

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Election porn....

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Unknown member
Mar 19

Johnnie Ellington of Statham writes praising the Biden Inflation Reduction Act (a typical gaslighting title. Inflation is still much higher than when senile Joe took office). Ellington praises the price controls on drugs and claims it is about "negotiating prices. It isn't a negotiation when one side comes in and says we will pay you $X, and if you don't accept our price, we will give you no choice. The fact that other countries sell many drugs for less than we pay in the US is a tribute to how cheaply a drug can be manufactured if you copy somebody else's research and produce copies. The US does not enforce our patent laws against countries that copy our drugs. Sur…

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TLDR,

It is a well known fact that pharmaceutical companies sell thier drugs in other countries far cheaper. Those countries governments are empowered by their citizens to negotiate drug prices. In the US, we allow them an ability to exploit their own compatriots because they have no incentive not too, thus far.

Do we have a line between greed and success? Should we? We have one between poverty and wealth. We know the ramifications of unmitigated poverty. What are the consequences of unmitigated greed? You know, snake oil, plastic ocean Island, and smoke filled horizon unmitigated greed?

I have always been fascinated by one of the miracles of democracy in the checks and balances aspect in politics. How, with all…


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