Thursday, January 11, 2007
Negotiating with Both Hands Tied Behind Your Back
How NOT to reduce Medicare prescription drug prices. Here is the actual text of Dingell's bill. It's hard to see how this is anything but posturing since no changes in any part of the bill except authorizing/requiring the Secretary of HHS to open negotiations. The problem with that is that the Secretary of HHS is on record as not wanting to negotiate so how much effort will he put into this initiative. Also, no leverage is mandated in the bill; specifically, formulary provisions remain unchanged. I don't understand what this bill can possibly accomplish other than a press release.
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How NOT to reduce Medicare prescription drug prices. Here is the actual text of Dingell's bill. It's hard to see how this is anything but posturing since no changes in any part of the bill except authorizing/requiring the Secretary of HHS to open negotiations. The problem with that is that the Secretary of HHS is on record as not wanting to negotiate so how much effort will he put into this initiative. Also, no leverage is mandated in the bill; specifically, formulary provisions remain unchanged. I don't understand what this bill can possibly accomplish other than a press release.
0 comments
