On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 07:56:48 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

RCE wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
. ..
Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
On 18 Mar 2006 04:17:57 -0800, wrote:

I take Remicade for my RA every six weeks @ $11,000 a pop - that's
$99,000 per year for very effective treatment for RA.

In Canada, it's $2,450 a pop.

Now, who is subsidizing who? :)
Canada doesn't simply tell drug companies what to charge. They made a
deal with the drug companies, offering the drug companies extended
patent life on their new drugs in exchange for charging lower prices.
The drug companies benefit by having more years without generic
competition, and the public benefits by having more affordable
medicines.
At three quarters the cost?

Bull****. The only way they could get away with doing that is if they
pick up the rest of the profits from somewhere else.

Like me.

As a marketing consultant who has worked with several substantial offerers
of health insurance, I can assure you that the profits on many
"proprietary" medications transcend astronomical. There is plenty of room
for "negotiation" in the prices Rx companies charge providers and
purveyors.

Oh...by the way, Rx companies these days spend more on advertising and
marketing than they do on research.

They're the richer cousins of the oil companies. You know, the original
"bend over for us" guys.

Big numbers involved in health care. I just read that GM posted a 10+
billion dollar loss overall in 2005.
Part of their operating costs in 2005 was 5+ billion on health care for
active and retired employees.

RCE




Yes, indeed. And eventually we are going to have to have a federal
system in which every American is issued a card to obtain basic medical
care. Whether that involves all the insurance companies we have now or
an entirely different system remains to be seen, but we have to have
changes or we will all go broke.

We're all paying for it now; we're just handling it sloppily.

I note you said "every American". I assume, I hope, you are meaning US
citizens!
--
'Til next time,

John H

******************************************
***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
******************************************