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Democrats Negotiating Drug Prices
The insurers of the
roughly 22.5 million seniors and disabled enrolled in
federally subsidized private plans negotiate with
pharmaceutical companies over the price of covered drugs, but
the Democrats coming into Congress have promised a new
approach. The incoming lawmakers have discussed using federal
purchasing power to negotiate drug prices, produce substantial
savings, and improve the overall program.
The
government, this year alone, is expected to spend $31 billion
on Medicare Plan D, and next year it is estimated to increase
approximately another $19 billion, to a total of $51 billion.
In 2003, the government which is controlled by the
Republican’s wrote rules that preclude Medicare from
negotiating prices directly with the pharmaceutical industry.
Now, once the Democrats are in control in January, their top
priority was to lower the prices of the prescription drugs.
However, Bush’s administration has said that they will oppose
this plan.
The
Secretary of Health and Human services, Michael Leavitt has
stated that “in politics, most specific issues like this are a
disguise for a larger difference. Government negotiation of
drug prices does not work unless you have a program completely
run by the government. Democrats say they want the government
to negotiate prices. What they really want is the
government-run health care.”
According to the New York Times, "Nancy
Pelosi, a democrat has said that the house will take up
legislation to repeal that ban in its first 100 hours under
Democratic control. If the federal government was to negotiate
prices, it would generate significant savings, which could be
used to close doughnut hole in the Medicare Plan D
coverage."
Medicare
currently pays for medications through private insurers, which
are running Plan D. These insurers pay much higher prices for
drugs than government plans such as Medicaid and the Veterans
Administration, which are allowed to contract for lower
prices. Pharmaceutical companies are legally required to give
Medicaid plans at least a 15 percent discount on manufactured
drugs. It would seem that Plan D should have similar
discounts, but this is not allowed in the current Plan D.
Fortunately, the newly elected Democratic Congress wants to
correct this serious problem, if the Bush Administration would
allow it.
For more
information on negotiating drug prices
visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/13/washington/13medicare.html
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Sleep Deprivation could be causing High Blood Pressure
High
blood pressure is a common problem world wide. After doing research,
researchers believe that one of the factors which plays a role
in blood pressure is lack of sleep. If so, you may be
increasing the risk of developing high blood pressure. Studies
which have been done in the United States have shown that
Americans have been sleeping less each night than is
recommended, which lead some people to suspect that there is a
relationship between the amount of sleep you get each night
and blood pressure. Experiments were conducted with people who
were suffering from high blood pressure as well as people that
have normal blood pressure. From these experiments researchers
found that the individuals that were tested, when their sleep
was cut short their blood pressure had increased. For more
details on exactly how the study/or experiment was conducted
visit:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3039197
High
blood pressure is not solely dependent on the amount of sleep
you get each night, there are many other factors which need to
be considered before pinpointing the reasons of
hypertension. It
is known that while a person is sleeping their blood pressure
is low and it immediately increases when a person wakens. Thus, on average,
people would have higher blood pressure when not getting
enough sleep because they would have shorter periods of low
blood pressure.
James
Gangwisch, MD, the lead author of the study from the
College of
Physicians and
Surgeons at
Columbia
University in
New York,
NY tries to
explain the different relationships found between the lack of
sleep and the risk of high blood pressure in younger and older
age groups. "First, subjects experiencing hypertension,
obesity and diabetes would be less likely to survive into
their later years. Second, advanced age is associated with
changes in sleep architecture with increased difficulties in
sleep initiation and maintenance. Elderly subjects, who are
often retired, also have more opportunities to take naps
during the day. Third, sleep disordered breathing is
associated with hypertension in subjects below the age of 60
years but not in subjects 60 years of age or older." In an American poll,
the National Sleep Foundation 2002, the lack of sleep was
associated with irritability, impatience, pessimism, and
feeling tired and stressed.
All of
the studies suggest that lack of sleep contributes to high
blood pressure, however the link between the two are not
definitively established. Much more research needs to be done
to get a good understanding of the two being linked. As a result, getting
enough sleep is very important to your health, which can
prevent many other problems caused by high blood
pressure.
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Your
Comments
"You are the most
professional company I believe I have dealt with online.
Keep up the good work!"
SS
"The
citizens of the
United States are
literally being robbed by the Medicare D. Discounted drugs are
quickly figured at list prices and then one reaches the donut
hole in no time. It is highway robbery by our drug companies.
It made me angry enough to get on the net and find places to
order my meds in
Canada. Glad to
hear that we citizens are no longer criminals as we look for
equitable ways to get our medicines."
SK
"Thank you for the great service which you have
provided the citizens of the United States. Most people out
here are unable to afford their medications, but because of
you low prices we are still able to lead healthy
lives."
DK
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