Related Stories
A Serious Drug Problem
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of New York Times
Posted: November 11th, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/06/opinion/06krugman.html
Note: The following is the New York Times website's abstract of this article, which is a very good summary.
2003 Medicare bill is object lesson in how special interests hold America's health care system hostage; says law subsidizes private health plans, which have repeatedly failed to deliver promised cost savings, and creates unnecessary layer of middlemen by requiring that drug benefit be administered by private insurers; says it specifically prohibits Medicare from using its purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices; notes that Rep Billy Tauzin, who shepherded drug bill through Congress, now heads all-powerful drug-industry lobbying group, and Thomas Scully, former Medicare administrator, negotiated for future health industry lobbying job at same time he was pushing drug bill; calls Medicare bill corrupt deal created by corrupt system.
Related Stories
Latest News
Key News Articles from Years Past
