This Time, Harry and Louise Are Smiling

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Washington Post

Just four months ago, the pharmaceutical industry was prepared for the worst. Drugmakers feared that Barack Obama would press for price controls on prescription drugs and readied plans for a multimillion-dollar ad campaign against the idea.

Instead, Obama chose a more modest approach after becoming president, proposing to extract bigger discounts on medications bought through Medicaid. The plan could save the drug companies billions a year compared with price controls.

"This is a great start," said W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, a former House member from Louisiana who now runs the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), referring to Obama's health-care plan. "There are things we don't like about it. But there's time to discuss all that."

Obama's opening gambit to dramatically expand the health-care system has attracted surprising notes of support from insurers, hospitals and other players in the powerful medical lobby who are set to participate in an unusual White House summit on the issue this afternoon. The lure for the industry is the prospect of tens of millions of new customers: If Obama succeeds in fulfilling his pledge to cover many more Americans, those newly insured people will get checkups, purchase medicine, undergo physical therapy and get surgeries they cannot afford today.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/04/AR2009030403938.html?hpid=topnews

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One has to wonder if Tauzin is positive on the plan!

[Cleita]

1. Yep the Foxes are running the hen house now.

The taxpayers will pay as usual and get nothing in return. Just corporate business as usual.

[WCGreen]

2. Fuck, Insurance is just another profit center injected into the mix...

There can be no insurance in any meaningful health care reform...

The problem will be that bureaucrats from the Insurance Industry will still be denying treatment.

[PSPS]

4. Insurance's business model: Trick you into signing up, then deny all your claims.

[terisan]

3. Taxpayer Revolt Time. We need real health care for everyone now.

This makes me ill. We are being sold as profit-opportunities and will be giving up our privacy to their centralized medical records (which will probably be used for marketing).

[izquierdista]

5. The Henry Ford principle

When everyday workers cannot afford your product, it's time to rethink your wage/pricing structure.

[bluestateguy]

6. I understand the need to have big business allies to get health care reform, BUT

not THESE big businesses.

[Delphinus]

7. No, we newly insured people will

not be able to afford checkups, purchase medicine, or get surgeries we might need because all we'll be doing is paying the FUCKING insurance companies - not the doctors!

EDIT TO ADD:
Health insurance does not mean health care.