TRUMP Lowers Prescription Prices

[Nova2216]

July 24, 2020

Trump Administration Announces Historic Action to Lower Drug Prices for Americans
Today, President Donald Trump took historic action to deliver lower prescription drug prices to American patients. The President signed four Executive Orders on drug pricing directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take several steps to deliver for American patients lower costs on prescription drugs, including insulin and epinephrine, and ensure Americans are getting the lowest price possible for their drugs.



Trump Administration Announces Historic Action to Lower Drug Prices for Americans

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

nice idea.
But what will the drug companies and distributers actually do.
If you are taking Billions out of the system it has to come from somewhere.

 

[Altfish]

You need an NHS; in the UK a prescription costs £9.15 (About $12.50) - with many exemptions, eg it is free for under 16's, over 60's, pregnant women

 

[lostwanderingsoul]

Why doesn't Trump also lower food prices so hungry people can afford to eat? And maybe lower electricity prices? Or why stop there? Lower all prices on everything. Oh, wait a minute. We have what is called a free market system. Prices change based on what producers are will to sell for and what buyers are willing to pay. When you start messing with that, the whole system can colapse. Yes, keep an eye on companies to be sure they are being responsible but be careful about forcing price changes on anyone.

 

[exchemist]

July 24, 2020

Trump Administration Announces Historic Action to Lower Drug Prices for Americans
Today, President Donald Trump took historic action to deliver lower prescription drug prices to American patients. The President signed four Executive Orders on drug pricing directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take several steps to deliver for American patients lower costs on prescription drugs, including insulin and epinephrine, and ensure Americans are getting the lowest price possible for their drugs.



Trump Administration Announces Historic Action to Lower Drug Prices for Americans

Sounds like electioneering baloney. He already announced this a year ago and did damn all about it. He has no way to do it, given that the US drug market is between independent commercial buyers and sellers.

As @Altfish says, you need a national health service, awarding centrally negotiated contracts, to do that. But Trump is busy trying to dismantle his predecessor’s moves in that direction.

Desperate stuff, from a desperate administration that is losing the Seniors’ vote due to its gross mismanagement of the virus pandemic.

Time for Republicans to dump Trump and start work on rebuilding credibility for the future. This experiment with right wing populism has been a disaster, as so many of us knew it would be.

 

[Valjean]

Why doesn't Trump also lower food prices so hungry people can afford to eat? And maybe lower electricity prices? Or why stop there? Lower all prices on everything. Oh, wait a minute. We have what is called a free market system. Prices change based on what producers are will to sell for and what buyers are willing to pay. When you start messing with that, the whole system can colapse. Yes, keep an eye on companies to be sure they are being responsible but be careful about forcing price changes on anyone.

Why not reverse the neoliberal, free trade mania and stop privatizing everything?
For-profit "services" don't have your best interest in mind. They have your money in mind, and their stockholders. Neoliberal doctrine mandates profit and stockholders' interests come first. This is considered a duty, and the highest good.

Maybe we could organize some sort of all-inclusive co-op system to provide essential services at cost and eliminate the profit, like we do with police and fire protection -- no charge at point-of-service, and no profits to third parties; a self-help collective.

Oh, wait ---- Isn't that what government is supposed to do?

 

[lostwanderingsoul]

Why not reverse the neoliberal, free trade mania and stop privatizing everything?
For-profit "services" don't have your best interest in mind. They have your money in mind, and their stockholders. Neoliberal doctrine mandates profit and stockholders' interests come first. This is considered a duty, and the highest good.

Maybe we could organize some sort of all-inclusive co-op system to provide essential services at cost and eliminate the profit, like we do with police and fire protection -- no charge at point-of-service, and no profits to third parties; a self-help collective.

Oh, wait ---- Isn't that what government is supposed to do?

Well you could always move to China or North Korea. They will provide everything you need and if you complain they will provide a free jail cell.

 

[metis]

Well you could always move to China or North Korea. They will provide everything you need and if you complain they will provide a free jail cell.

Dichotomies, such as with the above, rarely ever reflect reality. Maybe try "moderation".

 

[Valjean]

Well you could always move to China or North Korea. They will provide everything you need and if you complain they will provide a free jail cell.

Those societies are not co-operative democracies. They're totalitarian states. They may call themselves peoples' republics or socialist or egalitarian, but clearly they're not.
They're nothing like what I'm advocating.