PhRMA poised to fight Obama plans

hopefully the public will realize that the dollars to fund this campaign come from the very money they are being overcharged

This is another example of big pharma shooting themselves in the foot with the public. We are going to have universal health care.
Get used to it.

How can PhRMA, in light of the failings of the unbridled free market that we are observing on both Wall Street and Main Street, make an argument that the free market for drug companies is more important than children's access to basic care?...or the right of sick people to have access to affordable health care? Even if oblique, the proposed campaign has the potential to dig an even deeper hole for the reputation of the pharmaceutical industry.

Hi,
What can those of us on Medicare do to fight Obama, a man who was never really addressed Health Care when it comes to the Little guy" as well as everyone else who adequately represents the DEM Party, has also going to get stung by this jerk who will make jimmy Carter look like a good president when was elected.

Well, one of my meds is not covered by my Medicare HMO Plan, and the Pharmacutical Company who mfgrs. it, as it's very expensive pays for it, so they aren't all that bad. The Pharmaceutical Companies pay out millions to those whose Medicare HMO Plans don't pay out for their drugs, along with providing medications to those who don't have any prescription coverage at all, so they aren't that bsd.

I believe that a health care program is necessary for those who do not have health care from their employers. Our economy is unstable, and I see companies relying more on temps and contractors who do not require benefits. However, Obama will also need to help subsidize the cost of making the drugs. This is far more important that bailing out automakers.

A country that cannot take care of itself is doomed. Even the builders of the pyramids had better healthcare than many today.

I agree with the posting from Mr Clive Hammant of Big Pharma, even, that the healthcare industry needs to care more. And I further his caveat that a conceited healthcare industr will not only have us going the way of Big Auto, but of the extinguished Roman Empire.

"...the importance of preserving your free-market health care system..."

Does anyone else see the cognitive dissonance in using this argument against Medicare negotiating a free-market price for pharmaceuticals?

Free-market for me but not for thee!

The reality is that 90% of the costs of healthcare are in hospital and office bricks and sticks, physicians fees, nursing costs, rehab, nursing homes etc. The only way to actually reduce those costs is to invent cures for diseases the way that the polio vaccine eliminated the need for iron lung hospitals or TB treatments eliminated sanitoriums. Pharma R&D is essentially a fixed percent of revenues. If the government kills or mortally wounds pharma they kill R&D and they kill the possibility of better therapies in the future. What they should do is to use pricing to incent more R&D.

Quote:

The country's biggest pharma lobbying group--PhRMA--is readying a major public relations campaign supporting "free market health care."

A government negotiating is more of a free market than a private controlling.