Obama's Deal With Big Pharma

In one more sign that the U.S. no longer is a functioning democracy, the Obama Administration has struck a deal with Big Pharma: To win its support for health care reform, the Administration has promised that any reform legislation will ban the government from negotiating lower drug prices. So Big Pharma can charge whatever it wants for patented drugs. In return, the pharmaceuticals soon will begin a $150 million advertising campaign on behalf of reform.

All I can say is, those had better be damn good ads.

This eliminates an area in which real cost savings could have been made. The savings in the area of pharmaceuticals has been capped at $80 billion over the next ten years. Many believe the government could have used its purchasing power to bring drug prices down.

However, according to the Right,  people in those "socialist" countries who pay much lower prices than in the U.S. for the same drugs are leeches. They should be grateful to us for allowing ourselves to be overcharged at the drugstore. Paying too much for our Lipitor is an American’s patriotic duty.