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> (I don't want to hear one thing about negotiating power. That is a debunked line of reasoning. Medicare/Medicaid cover more people than many single payer syst
by kaibee 7y ago
> (I don't want to hear one thing about negotiating power. That is a debunked line of reasoning. Medicare/Medicaid cover more people than many single payer systems in other countries, and their costs are still outrageous)
It is illegal for Medicare to negotiate drug prices. That needs to be fixed.
- Andrex 7y agoI was going to comment the same thing. Pointing to Medicare/Medicaid as examples for why drug negotiation doesn't work is an impressively incorrect line of thought.
- maxerickson 7y agoMedicaid mandates drug prices at a fixed percentage of what private buyers pay.
- jacobush 7y agoSo just raise prices.
- maxerickson 7y agoPrivate buyers won't just automatically pay more, so they can't "just raise prices". Of course prices will still be raised, but the point is that Medicaid drug spending is rather directly linked to negotiated prices for drugs, not just based on whatever the manufacturer asks.
- maxerickson 7y agoThe private companies that administer much of Medicare drug coverage in fact do negotiate prices. CMS can't step into those negotiations.
- hcknwscommenter 7y agoAnd Medicare costs are lower than private healthcare. OP just seems to be arguing that it's not low enough?