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Politics : A US National Health Care System?

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To: skinowski who wrote (13301)	2/7/2010 6:54:17 AM
From: Road Walker	Read Replies (4) of 42652

That is a good question. In effect, higher US drug prices are a form of foreign aid. Many nations with socialized healthcare systems make drug companies sell them drugs at low prices - under the fear of closing off the markets, or simply breaking their patens and copying the drugs. If we negotiate drug prices the way other countries negotiate drug prices, then the prices to other countries will go up. We are the outlier in the marketplace... and we pay for it. The drug companies are not going to stop doing R&D unless they WANT to go out of business. Any business, any business person will sell his product for the highest price possible if the customer is not allowed to negotiate.... but is forced to pay whatever you ask. The "free market" has organized itself as it usually does, with the largest entities getting the best price. (Not much different than the way Walmart has come to dominate retail.) Because of the power of the drug lobby we have chosen not to participate in the "free market". A good argument could be made that this is an instance where the government is distorting the market by NOT allowing government negotiation.

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