Im mad as Hell and getting madder and madder. The sell out continues. Don’t get me wrong. I like Obama. I’m in love with his wife and daughters. Despite all his likability, however, his actions to endorse and support corporate elites continue and make a joke of his promises of change.
The recent disclosures of deals made between the White House and Big-Pharma/Insurance are particularly disconcerting. It is, for me at least, the Last Straw.
After a week of denials that there had been any quid pro quo offered for Big-Pharma’s gift of $80 billion, a memo obtained by Huffington Post reports favors detrimental to the consumer. Why wasn’t I holding me breath?
The memo… lists exactly what the White House gave up, and what it got in return.
…snip…
…the White House agreed to oppose any congressional efforts to use the government’s leverage to bargain for lower drug prices or import drugs from Canada — and also agreed not to pursue Medicare rebates or shift some drugs from Medicare Part B to Medicare Part D, which would cost Big Pharma billions in reduced reimbursements.In exchange, the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA) agreed to cut $80 billion in projected costs to taxpayers and senior citizens over ten years. Or, as the memo says: “Commitment of up to $80 billion, but not more than $80 billion.”
Let’s slither below the fold for more lubricating slime…