Senate panel approves Medicare drug price bill

[cal04]

Source: Reuters

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Thursday approved a bill that would permit the government to negotiate for Medicare prescription drug prices, throwing down a challenge to the powerful drug industry.

Moved forward by the committee on a 13-8 vote, the bill is expected to go next week to the full Senate, where debate is likely to be intense, Senate aides said.

The House of Representatives in January passed a tougher version of the bill. President George W. Bush has vowed to veto the House bill. It would require, not just permit, direct negotiation over prices by the government with drug companies.

Medicare is a national health insurance program that covers more than 40 million elderly and disabled Americans. It was expanded last year to add a prescription drug benefit. Coverage is managed for Medicare by dozens of private companies.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070413/pl_nm/medicare_congress_dc

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Democrats now in charge on Capitol Hill want to eliminate the negotiation bar. They say government negotiation would save money both for the government and for older Americans by helping the private firms get the best drug prices possible.

[madfloridian]

1. Too many of our Democratic advisors/consultants lobbied against this.

And provided polls against it. They in effect said it would hurt the people if there were bidding. These are guys who are tied closesly to Democrats like Lieberman and Hillary Clinton, and others. Several groups are mentioned.

I am so glad to see they are going ahead with it, but the pharma companies don't want it.

Mark Penn's company said this would limit choice for patients.

[Gloria]

2. Signed a petition on this a few days ago....I hope we get control

of this.....I'm taking Singular and Level 2 is no bargain, that's for sure....