Dr. Mercola June 06 2007 42,927 views
Drug companies are billing the U.S. public for AT LEAST $1 trillion.
This is, without any doubt in my mind, one of the biggest scandals in the history of the United States.
This Medicare drug plan fiasco enriches pharmaceutical companies, fleeces taxpayers, and forces millions of older Americans to accept inferior drug coverage -- while doing nothing to address the real reasons prescription drugs cost so much.
The financial impact of this legislation on taxpayers cannot be overstated. Government projections that the drug program will cost $400 billion over the next decade cannot be trusted, as existing Medicare programs cost four times more than was estimated when they were created.
The likely cost is at least $1.5 trillion over 10 years, and much more in following decades as the American population grows older.
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
I am absolutely SHOCKED that this ever made it to national TV on Sixty Minutes. It is surprising that the drug industry did not have enough influence over CBS to prevent this from being aired. This is, without any doubt in my mind, one of the biggest scandals in the history of the United States.
The drug companies are billing the U.S. public for AT LEAST $1 trillion. The late Senator Everett Dirksen from Illinois was fond of saying when he was referring to the Defense Department budget, "A billion dollars here, a billion dollars there and before you know it you are talking real money."
Well folks, we are not talking about $1 billion, we are talking about $1,500 BILLION.
Interestingly, the smart person's favorite candidate for the U.S. presidency, Ron Paul, commented on this bill when it was initially introduced four years ago.
If you don't believe me then PLEASE read an analysis by Jack Schreiber, MD, from over 40 years ago when the original Medicare legislation was introduced. Dr. Schreiber was a member of the American College of Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) and wrote this piece for their journal. AAPS is the only professional medical organization I belong to as they are firm believers in freedom.
Most Profitable Industry in the World
Americans currently pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Canadians, Europeans, and even citizens of Mexico pay only about one-half to as little as one-tenth the price paid by Americans for the very same chemicals. Drug companies actually import many of the raw materials used in drugs from other countries, meaning that some U.S. medicines are already sourced from countries like the U.K. and Germany.Drug companies mark up their prescription drugs as much as 569,000% over the price of the raw materials. A typical markup is more in the 30,000% - 50,000% range. Retailing pharmaceuticals is hugely profitable. There is no business in the world with more profit built into the retail price of the product. How many business owners would like to have those profit margins?
The purpose of restricting Americans from buying drugs from other countries is to enforce a medical monopoly in the United States, forcing consumers to purchase drugs at the highest prices in the world, further padding the profits of powerful and influential pharmaceutical corporations who exert strong influence over the U.S. Congress.
Bottom Line?
The United States simply cannot continue along this path without suffering serious economic consequences. We are currently spending more than $2 trillion on a health care system that is terribly broken and heading for $3 trillion by the end of the decade.
It is time you stand up now and Take Control of Your Health. Start engaging in behaviors that allow you to become independently healthy so you don't have to rely on drug-company solutions. You need to be a shining example of health to the rest of the country.YOU Are the Solution
The VAST majority of the American public is dumber than dirt when it comes to health. They have been effectively manipulated and deceived by the brilliant marketing scams of the drug companies. If you can lead by example you can be a pillar of light out of this darkness we have progressed into.
All we need to do is convince 10 percent of the population and this system will crumble. Even though they have trillions of dollars of revenues, they simply can't fight the truth.
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what do I think?I think that everyone should lobby their elected official, whether it is municipal, state-wide, or federal. Talk to anybody that will listen, forward the message via internet and don't stop until the pharmaceuticals have gone to ground.Where their greed is once more manageable to the general public and where federal laws are in place so it will never happen again.I am a Canadian, living on the west coast of Canada and I have been lobbying for years to keep the pharmaceuticals from taking over vast amounts of, not only drugs, but healthcare facilities like long term care, "alternative drugs", and where they, the pharmaceuticals are building "clinics" to bring down our national health plan: our Medicare Plan.I am a politically active 65 year old female fighting to keep this Plan but the pharmecueticals, as Dr. Mercola points out is a monsterous, out-of-control steam roller, whose goal is simple:outsource all other healthcare links everywhere.Lobby, folks, lobby.And as I sit sipping my morning coffee, using my new small plastic coffee machine from China, the plastic keyboard, printer, pc, with my plastic water bottle filled with orange juice, upon the chair which sits upon the new plastic mat, I travel through a plastic world. However after reading the latest news on this site, I will be giving away these plastics to a garage sale, and figure out how to keep a glass bottle/jar icy cold without breaking it.Cheers,FayeJ