Healthcare ‘Reform’ Appears to Magnify Power of Insurers, Big Pharma

[Better Believe It]

Healthcare ‘Reform’ Appears to Magnify Power of Insurers, Big Pharma
In These Times
July 23, 2009

So what is emerging from all this? At President Obama’s news conference July 22, he notably neglected to commit himself to a vigorous “public option” that would expand Medicare.

Meanwhile, both the House and Senate health bills have so enfeebled the public option that it represents no threat, as Kip Sullivan insightfully points out. The public option was supposed to serve as a measuring stick by which to judge and discipline the for-profit insurance industry’s cost increases.

While consultants predicted up to 130 million clamoring to sign up for the public option, both the House and Senate bills permit no more than 10 million people to join the public option before 2019. Workers for large corporations will be ineligible now—and perhaps forever.

The insurance industry, on the other hand, gets an enormous boost with a mandate for all citizens to buy insurance, and government subsidies to pay whatever the insurers charge.

At the same time, the drug companies have just won bans on importing cheaper drugs from Canada and the federal government negotiating drug prices for all citizens, along with a 12-year exclusivity deal for biotech drugs.

The current House and Senate bills—carefully tailored to specifically avoid insurance and drug industry opposition because they are currently seen as omnipotent on Capitol Hill—will vastly expand their already-overwhelming political power.

Please read the complete article at:

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/4646/reform_plans_appear_to_magnify_power_of_insurers_big_pharma/

[FiveGoodMen]

1. What I was afraid of.

We the people don't have representation in DC.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Appears = speculation

on a bill not yet finalized.

In otherwords, an opinion piece based on scant evidence.
and Obama spoke of a public option during the press conference, so.....

[Better Believe It]

6. Be realistic and honest. Do you really think the bill will be improved and that

the insurance industry and big pharma's influence will be weakened.

So far all of the concessions made have been to the blue dogs and conservatives!

And facts you can present demonstrating that everything is just fine and peachy with this legislation would be appreciated.

I suppose we could just ignore what the legislation says. That's worked for you!

[uponit7771]

3. ****THIS "APPEARS" TO BE ANOTHER KNEE JERK POST****

[Autumn]

4. I have never liked the mandate

and the ban on importing cheaper drugs from Canada seems stupid to me.

[ProSense]

5. " he notably neglected to commit himself to a vigorous 'public option''

The critics are becoming clowns.

[Wednesdays]

7. K&R

:kick:

[debbierlus]

8. Kick - Kick - Kick

[nightrain]

9. Rec. Excellent. Thank you for posting it.

[jeanpalmer]

10. What's the difference between public option

and what we have now? Supposedly about 15% saving. That's what we're arguing about. $4250 per year premium versus $5000. Is that worth all this effort? I don't think so. People have built this debate up to be about much much more than it's really worth. You've all been flim flammed.

We're going to go through all this to save $750 per person? You gotta be s------- me. This is about political power and domination and not much more.

If you people really want to focus on something important, focus on those goddam wars where poor villagers are being bombed out of their houses.