Medicare drug prices don't compare to VA prices
New Survey Finds Medicare Prices for Top 20 Drugs
Used by Seniors Are Much Higher than Prices Negotiated by Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA)
A survey released today found that drug prices under the new Medicare drug program will be considerably higher than the prices negotiated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). According to the survey, the median price difference for the 20 drugs most frequently used by seniors is 48.2 percent.
When the Medicare drug benefit was under consideration, the Administration and congressional leaders promised that a program operated through many private plans would provide, through competition, low drug prices. The Families USA survey belies that assertion.
“The huge prices paid by seniors and taxpayers could have been avoided if Congress and the President had not caved in to the pressure of the drug lobby,” said Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA. “They prohibited Medicare from bargaining for cheaper prices and, to ensure that this would never change, they delegated the administration of the benefit to private plans, which have far less bargaining clout.
The VA representing 5 million gets better prices than 44 million Medicare subscribers. Another brilliant example of how Medicare has become a welfare program for drug manufacturers.
Posted: Thu - December 22, 2005 at 10:56 AM