http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106899074

Drug Firms Pour $40 Million Into Health Care Debate

by Andrea Seabrook and Peter Overby

One of the most powerful players in health care is a group called the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA. It represents just 32 brand-name drug companies, but it has so much influence that when Congress passes a bill, PhRMA almost always gets its way. One big reason why: PhRMA and its members have spent millions of dollars lobbying Congress as lawmakers work to overhaul health care.

$40 Million In Lobbying

Any firm that spends significant money lobbying Congress has to file a quarterly report. Monday was the deadline for the second quarter, providing a chance to peer into three critical months in the health care debate: April, May and June. That's when Congress really got down to business with health care.

In those three months, PhRMA spent just over $6 million, which breaks down to about $2 million a month.

But the reports filed by the companies that belong to PhRMA reveal that during this same period, all but a few of them were running their own lobby shops as well. The drugmaker Pfizer alone spent $5.5 million. Amgen, Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline spent about $3 million each.

Add it all up and you get this: In those three critical months, PhRMA and its member companies spent $40 million lobbying Congress. That's more than $3 million each week

Irie,

Were going to get shafted by the whole socilaized health care thing.

I got an idea, don't take the drugs and there wont be a market.

In the world we live in everyone wants a quick and easy solution... they dont want to actually deal with a problem so they take a pill to do the work for them. As long as there is the delusion that a hand full of pills will make you thin, smart, relaxed, attentive, good looking, interesting, energetic and hard as a phallic shaped diamond, there will be the masses waving their gubment vouchers to get them.

I will leave it to Mr Waits to explain the pharmaceutical companies stance...

How is your husband's socialized VA care? Probably better than my private insurance care.

Private then? I thought he was ex-military?

My grandfather receives much of his care through the VA and their system seems to be at least good as most non-VA care. I have a close friend that deals with high-level IT issues in numerous government agencies and he says their system is drastically ahead of most.

What is the official reasoning?

We have a socialized infrastructure, socialized law enforcement, socialized fire departments, and socialized military, just to name a few. Why are some of you so scared?

The military produces no wealth, it absorbs wealth to protect the nation. The health care industry produces no wealth, yet we redistribute wealth to the industry's CEOs with out the ability to protect the health of all Americans.

Fear mongers warn of having a government bureaucrat between you and your doctor, but they seem not to mind having a for-profit insurance bureaucrat between you and your doctor.

If our health care system is so good, why isn't the rest of the world trying to copy it? Why are we the only industrialized nation without a national healthcare system? And why don't people think Americans are smart enough to figure out how to make it work like every other country has?

I've had socialized healthcare for nearly 30 years, and my wife has been under the same type of healthcare for her entire 51 years. We pay less annually than most families pay monthly for their private insurance--those than can afford it, that is.

I really don't get why people don't want to see every one of their fellow citizens have access to affordable healthcare. Just seems like the morally right thing to do.

I call bullchyt. You're not telling the whole story here. What you're implying is that every single military retiree must live within a 30 minute radius of a military hospital. So what does every retiree in Oregon do? How about Idaho?

You're trying to tell us the administration pulled this off without a peep from VA? Or NCOA? Or VFW? AmVets? I work with nearly 100 military retirees, many that live more than 30 minutes from Madigan, and not a single one has mentioned being denied care. I think that's a subject that would be actively discussed had it happened.

So what's the real story?

So they denied his waiver?

What about these alleged options:

"If your request is initially denied or your waiver is not renewed at the end of your enrollment period, you have several other TRICARE options. These include:

• Enrolling at another MTF within your area
• Enrolling with a civilian PCM if you live in or within 100 miles of a TRICARE Prime Service Area
• Enrolling in the US Family Health Plan if you live in an area where it is offered
• Using TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra for your health care needs"


Also, the article is poorly worded but it is leaves open the possibility that the call you get next week might start the 2 month notification mentioned in the article.

It's not an option because...you don't want it??

Sounds to me Aunty, like you've been sucking on the Socialized Medicine teat for a few decades now, and now that it's gone you're mad as hell.

So Aunty has had Socialized Medicine for decades, yet she's against it for everyone else. Sounds to me like she's just against anyone else getting the free lunch she's had all her life. Like a piggy at a trough.

I still think Aunty's just all panties-in-a-bunch over having someone with brown skin in her White House. Do we have to paint it black now, Aunty?

Your political views are as solid as cotton candy and just as healthy.

Oh I forgot, you're a "Centrist" right? You're all for gov't handouts while you're on the receiving end, but as soon as the next guy in line steps up, it's time to 'kick 'dem loafers off the dole queue!'

roh oh...

It does appear that Tricare has made some of their decisions based upon losing the contract with the Govt. in the South and East. I really don't see where the President or his Administration has anything to do with this.

GH - Yes, Marsha is well known to get emotional and/or irrational for effect on occasion. I know that is rare on the Internet!!!!!

Aunty, sometimes I can't figure out if you try to mock people because you "don't get it" and are really that stupid or if you are just trying to fan the flames?

Continue to enjoy your subsidized care on my dime. I know you feel you earned it. Classic elitist.

Don't let this name-calling crap escalate any further you two, keep it cool....

..or you will feel the administrative wrath of my newfangled powers. With a crack of thunder, lightning bolts, and goblins flying through the air.... I will edit the spewage and your posts will no longer make sense to anyone...


....and that assuming they did in the first place