What if Medicare could bargain over drug prices?
(By – KIM ADAMS, news.wbfo.org)
The government health care programs Medicare and Medicaid turned 50 this year. But, more recently, back in 2003, the feds expanded Medicare to include a prescription drug benefit. The law establishing that benefit specifically prevented Medicare from directly negotiating the prices for those drugs, which some say translates to higher costs for the program. The Obama administration and some members of Congress want to change that, but— not surprisingly, drug companies say things are just fine as they are. Read more…