I've spend the larger part of the last two weeks in Washington, DC. (Partially to speak at a major NCCN conference, yesturday, and some industry meetings last week, but mostly to represent our voices "on the hill." Thanks to Malecare and around 50 brother and sister patient advocacy groups, a major piece of legislation has been won in the USA. H.R. 3, a bill that will help millions of Americans gain access to lower drug prices, has passed in the House of Representatives, this afternoon!
H.R. 3 will lower drug prices for patients across the country, regardless of insurance type. The bill prevents price gouging and, for the first time, gives power to Medicare to negotiate directly with drug corporations. Lower prices that are enjoyed in Europe and other major markets will now be available for the USA. Major lobbying groups and nonprofits that receive hundreds of thousands and millions from pharma have been fighting this. Well, shame on them. The passage of H.R. 3 is a major win for patients and taxpayers. Yay. You can read more about this bill by googling H.R.3 - Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act
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Darryl
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You're welcome. While it certainly was not an "all hands on deck" effort, fortunately, there were enough hands from lots of different cancer type nonprofits that Malecare and all of us here should be proud of. Malecare has lots of new and genuinely collaborative nonprofit partners that will help us with more advocacy projects moving forward. I've also learned a lot about deep budget hotels, including the worst, The Hotel Harrington, which had no heat, a vacuum tube tv, crap furniture and mold everywhere. I am THRILLED that this passed!!!!
Have you ever watched the inbetweeners? Because as I was rolling up to the gaff I was expecting an Arabian man to run out shouting ‘sh** on my floor $50’. Now onto the details, I’m not sure where to begin. The rock hard beds? Waking up with bites all over me? The smell of death in the wardrobe? The cockroaches in the lift? Actually I think I’ll leave it there or I’ll bore you. All I can say is never stay here it’s awful, not even worth the money I feel like I’m in a nightmare. Furthermore stay well clear of the restaurant too the food is sickly and the texture suggests it’s been left out as long as the hotel’s been around then heated up for purpose. If for some ridiculous reason you do choose to stay in this rancid hotel bring a padlock as the door randomly opens too, a great addition! If i was able to give a 0 circle rating I would.
It passed the house but what lies in store when this bill in introduced in the senate? This bill will probably be bounced back and forth on the hill for quite a while. Money talks and senate isn't in the best of moods presently.
Maybe. People who know better than me think the senate will pass with out complications but, we will see....Malecare is ready for that fight if needed.
To quote AARP "In the Senate, the Finance Committee has approved a prescription drug bill that differs from the House measure." But let's hope the senate passes the bill without too many changes.
Yes, I am aware. It’s easy to be pessimistic. People told me this wouldn’t pass the House and “we” got passed. For today, after months of work, especially during the last few weeks, we’re good to go.
The argument in the senate is that the price controls proposed in the house bill will stifle the development of new drugs. As someone who has a keen interest in the development of new drugs to fight cancer I don’t want to see incentives for research eliminated.
I share your concern about research. The "less money for research" is a red herring. Current research activity would likely increase because the bill moves the $10 billion in savings to NIH direct research funding . Big pharma companies are rarely the initiator of cutting edge research. The current trend for big pharma is to acquire research from small companies and universities.
I think that all depends on where you get that data from. There is still a substantial amount of funding coming from the private sector. And I am skeptical about the $10 billion in savings and what would guarantee that it would go straight to the NIH - more likely to be diverted to a different cause in DC. Can you say Social Security “lockbox”?
I hope this bill is about more competition (foreign or otherwise) and not more price controls. We need more competition and transparency in every aspect of our health care system.
But the insurance company's can still deny coverage for the meds, does the bill change that ? The insurance company's are directing our care with no medical background in some cases. Makes the doctors frustrated with their patients.
You can read more about this bill by googling H.R.3 - Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act With lower costs for medications, there is less incentive for denials and fail first.
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