squabble potter is on the line with us
and uh...
quizzical
wendell potter dot com courses web site he is the former healthcare in industry
insider turned whistleblower in the author of a called deadly spin
uh... former of a former vice president of our largest health insurance
companies the united states went up are welcome back to program sir
the pentagon
so still a simple question and i
think i already know the answer to this but i want to reality tested
onto the somebody overload do you board over the weekend was asking the question
if the federal government can't negotiate
medicare drug prices
but the v_a_ can negotiate drug prices why doesn't medicare just buy their
drugs from the p_a_ now i'm assuming that the answer is because
medicare actully
uses the retail distribution system nother words they
my mother-in-law who is on medicare goes down to the local pharmacy and get
except for drugs and if it worked at the way that was just describe she have to
go to a veteran's administration hospital to get them
uh... and there's no mechanism for that but i event let me just trust that to
you as a wide open question is there somewhere around at this medicare part d
provisions that is uh... a six hundred billion dollar windfall for the for the
pharmaceutical industry
well he probably would require legislative strange to be prescription
drug benefit
went into effect in two thousand six away that would structure uh... the they
drug companies insurance companies really came out looking great
uh... and as a result uh... the medicare program was not given the ability to
negotiate with drug companies instead if you sign up for the part d which is the
prescription drug benefit uh... you have to do that through insurance company
which uh... then yet intern doesn't go shooting which for drug companies so
there's no no consistency uh... from company to company you might be paying
more for one drug if you're in trouble and and less if your net net
but that's why it was because of the school crazy way that the drug benefit
was structured
so structured way that not only benefit of the pharmaceutical industry and have
been god for this number six hundred billion dollars over
are decade is that is an fairly record number
that's right innovative huge huge amount of money okay so not only benefits the
pharmaceutical industry but it's also benefiting the health insurance
companies because the money's running through there hands there skimming a
little bit of big off the top
new picture it's a big uh... source of revenue and profit for insurance
companies and
or pharmaceutical company few minor drug benefit was created during the bush
administration when there was no preventing belief in the white house but
that the the private sector to do much better than the the public sector but
what we see as a consequence is that we're paying attack on more money for
drugs and uh... then we need to now when somebody's on medicaid
which is the
health insurance and medicare is for people over sixty five medicaid is for
anybody becca
most years child health programs in the various states in vermont uh... howard
dean called ours doctor dinosaur there
uh... these these programs are actually medicaid
uh... does medicaid cover pharmaceuticals
it was done
than it used to do it differently in a more uh... equitable way anway pick
shaver the government taxpayers' money again when the uh... by medicare part d
program was passed
with a large at lot of people who were in medicaid are also on medicare mccall
dual eligible so
uh... its
there's what the president most recently a suggestion doing is trying to at least
go back to we're used to be when the federal government state government
which but but be able to negotiate with drug companies to get a better deal for
a of america a population
so but
medicaid folks who are not
jewel eligible similar words the
you know the the ten-year-old who is the child of of
or any and his parents who are
you know when there is in their thirties early forties and and and working at
mcdonald's and unum making under the poverty line her work at walmart or
whatever
on it was eligible for medicaid
that those drug laws pharmaceuticals are those prices are can be negotiated with
our government to have a right that's correct that so headed toward the
standard with the state's with that kate program
and administered by the state's but they still pick up their drugs at the local
wal-mart or walgreens or uh... rite aid or locally on pharmacies are cracked
so how does
how-to under the retail distribution
not as hot as well
walmart or walgreens how do they make their peace of the pie in the medicaid
is uh... doesn't diminish their profit adjust images there also priced most the
retail price or or you have a very clear that part of martyrs hardy little
swimmer
but they still make money on it this story will too
make some money in being the uh... the means of distribution of it other
medications course to drug makers make money as well to an end as other uh...
layer of middle many call the authority benefit managers should make some money
as well to but it's uh... it's still it's a it's a better proposition and
cost taxpayers less
and then uh... then we see in the uh...
uh... medicare program and under the four ok readily ko bomb after those
states that have said like riparian texas where i can take your damn
medicaid money
there people now be eligible for those lower-priced government negotiated
classes strengthened resumes
flannel fires thank u four eliminating its and finest great talking with you
when the party that contract that is safe and take a look at these within the
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