High drug prices
An ad in the April 10 Herald, What Will Happen if Government Bureaucrats “Negotiate” Your Medicare Drug Coverage?, urges us to call our representatives in Congress to oppose proposed legislation that apparently contains some measures that would enable the government to negotiate the price of drugs.
Is negotiating for the price of drugs a bad thing? Insurance companies negotiate drug prices, as do all the major countries of the world. That is the reason why drug prices are considerably lower in Canada and in Europe.
The ad attempts to scare senior citizens by insinuating that somehow our Medicare drug coverage would be in jeopardy if the government negotiates drug prices. Most of us have heard of the outrageous prices for some drugs, and the problem seems to be getting worse.
It will contribute to the bankruptcy of Medicare, not protect it. When you read the fine print at the bottom of the ad, it states that it was “Paid for by American Action Network.” OpenSecrets.org, a nonpartisan research group, found that one of their largest contributors was the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America. Not surprising.
Norbert Aguiar, Palmetto Bay
This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "High drug prices."