The drug lobby demands, and gets, Obama pledge to protect health care profits

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/aug2009/drug-a07.shtml

The drug lobby demands, and gets, Obama pledge to protect health care profits
By Kate Randall
7 August 2009

The Obama White House has acknowledged it made a deal with drug makers to block moves in Congress to obtain any cost savings beyond the $80 billion already agreed to by the pharmaceutical lobby.

The New York Times reported Thursday that, in return for the $80 billion agreement, the Obama administration pledged that it would work to block any health care legislation that would allow the government to negotiate price-setting on drugs.

The deal is further evidence of the corporate forces calling the shots in Obama’s health care overhaul. While touring the country claiming the plan will make the health care giants’ “honest,” the administration is cutting behind-the-scenes deals to protect and boost their profits.

Details of the White House pledge were revealed this week when the pharmaceutical lobby reacted to a House health care measure that would have allowed the government to negotiate drug prices, or demand additional rebates from the drug companies.

The lobbyists immediately insisted that the Obama administration publicly acknowledge its commitment to protect the pharmaceuticals from bearing any further costs. The White House quickly obliged.

The Times reported that Jim Messina, a deputy White House chief of staff, wrote in an email Wednesday night, “The president encouraged this approach. He wanted to bring all the parties to the table to discuss health insurance reform.”

more...

:shrug:

Or better yet, Obama directly.

it doesn't work.

What's wsws.org?

today.

I'm always suspicious when 404 messages come up from a link.

Thanks again...................

For that matter, how credible is the NY Times?

9/11/2001 ...

they didn't bother reporting it when they found out about it, in late 2003, early 2004, when it would hurt Bush's re-election ... Bush's thugs intimidated the NYTimes into suppressing the story ... it finally came out in mid-2005 ...

Will the final bill allow drugs to be imported from Canada?

Will the final bill allow Medicare to negotiate to lower drug prices?

from here to there, and anything can happen.

It's just hard to hold onto faith and hope for a long way...........................