DRUG CARTELS - The Rx Cartel

"Conn. Attorney General calls generic drug makers a ‘private sector cartel’" PBS NewsHour 5/15/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Affordable health care is a persistent concern for Americans and a topic of great political debate.  Typically, generic prescription drugs offer a cheaper alternative to name brands, but a new multi-state [44] lawsuit alleges that their manufacturers have been artificially raising prices.  John Yang talks to William Tong, Attorney General of Connecticut, whose office has been leading the investigation.

"How generic drug makers are responding to price-fixing lawsuit" PBS NewsHour 5/15/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  U.S. consumers often turn to generic versions of prescription drugs to keep costs down, but dozens of states are now suing manufacturers of these drugs, saying they illegally fixed prices and divided up market share.  Affected drugs include medicines used to treat everything from minor infections to HIV.  John Yang gets reaction from Chip Davis, CEO of the Association for Accessible Medicines.

DRUG POLITICS - Big Pharma

Pharmaceutical industry, like the health care insurance industry, knows it has customers over a barrel, aka under ransom demand.  'Pay what we want or you die.'  And Republicans will continue to be enablers of these gang-land ransom demands.

"Lawmakers grill pharmaceutical executives over drug prices, but CEOs avoid big pledges" PBS NewsHour 2/26/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Health care costs are a major concern for Americans, who spend more on prescription drugs than residents of any other country.  On Tuesday, executives from seven of the biggest pharmaceutical companies appeared before a Senate committee to explain their rising prices.  They were questioned about R&D spending, patent extensions, and their own compensation.  John Yang reports on a contentious hearing.

AMERICA ADDICTED - Holding Companies Accountable

"This grieving family wants pharmaceutical companies held accountable for opioid deaths" PBS NewsHour 2/8/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  An estimated 400,000 Americans have died as a result of opioid use.  But grieving families say the national response to the health crisis is inadequate.  In her coverage of the epidemic Associated Press reporter Claire Galofaro profiled Cheryl Juaire, who lost her son to a heroin overdose in 2011.  Galofaro and Juaire talk to William Brangham about how they are trying to increase opioid awareness.

HEALTHCARE - Big Pharmas Running Scared

"Is Your Doctor Tied to Drug Makers?" Editorial, New York Times

It’s no surprise that the pharmaceutical industry is appalled at proposals to set up a national registry of its gifts and payments to doctors. Too much information might lead patients to suspect that their doctors are choosing costly medicines out of gratitude to the manufacturers rather than for the best medical or economic interests of their patients.

That's just the first paragraph in the full editorial.

Does the technique sound familiar? "Gifts" being use to influence decisions, in this case doctors?

Try Lobbyist giving politicians "gifts." The technique is the same, a way influence decisions made by politicians in making laws.

Big Business, Pharma or others, does not want the public to know what they are doing in the background. They want a shroud so the man-on-the-street cannot be aware that what their doctor or politician is doing may not be in their individual best interest.

"'SiCKO' Truth Squad Sets CNN Straight"

The above link is to Michael Moore's rebuttal to the misinformation of CNN's The Situation Room broadcast of 7/8/2007 (video link to show included).

It's a perfect example of bending the facts to make the American healthcare consumer accept the big-business (GOP) healthcare run programs.