Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform!

From POGO:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/business/16drugprices.html

Even as drug makers promise to support Washington’s health care overhaul by shaving $8 billion a year off the nation’s drug costs after the legislation takes effect, the industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years. In the last year, the industry has raised the wholesale prices of brand-name prescription drugs by about 9 percent, according to industry analysts. That will add more than $10 billion to the nation’s drug bill, which is on track to exceed $300 billion this year. By at least one analysis, it is the highest annual rate of inflation for drug prices since 1992. The drug trend is distinctly at odds with the direction of the Consumer Price Index, which has fallen by 1.3 percent in the last year. Critics say the industry is trying to establish a higher price base before Congress passes legislation that tries to curb drug spending in coming years. “When we have major legislation anticipated, we see a run-up in price increases,” says Stephen W. Schondelmeyer, a professor of pharmaceutical economics at the University of Minnesota. A Harvard health economist, Joseph P. Newhouse, said he found a similar pattern of unusual price increases after Congress added drug benefits to Medicare a few years ago, giving tens of millions of older Americans federally subsidized drug insurance. Just as the program was taking effect in 2006, the drug industry raised prices by the widest margin in a half-dozen years. “They try to maximize their profits,” Mr. Newhouse said.

Note: For lots more from reliable sources on corporate corruption, click here.

POGO's Request for Transparency to Revolving Door Database Denied

November 20, 2009 Earlier this year, POGO(Project on Government Oversight) urged the Obama administration to make a legislatively mandated DoD revolving door database public. We also submitted a public comment urging government officials to do the same. Yesterday, DoD finalized that rule, but denied POGO’s request for public access. In their explanation, DoD seemed to pass the buck over to over to Congress: One source submitted comments on the interim rule. That source supported the rule and its objectives, but recommended that the central database/repository for retention of written ethics opinions, required by section 847(b), be made publicly available. DoD has not adopted this recommendation, as section 847 does not authorize access to the database by the general public. The only problem with this reasoning is that Congress did not expressly deny public access to data — the law merely states that DoD create an ethics opinion database. POGO wonders what the harm is in seeing a list of former government officials who are now working for defense contractors. We have campaign finance and lobbying disclosure – why not expose those circulating between the public and private sectors who might be a driving force behind government decisions and policies? "Public access to the revolving door database represents the kind of open government that the public wants and deserves. If this Administration is serious about open government, it needs to provide public access to the database about the well-oiled DoD revolving door," said POGO's General Counsel, Scott Amey. This is a coincidence given this week's USA Today article on retired military generals with ties to defense contractors top military brass should be included in a public revolving door database too. Related links: POGO Urges President Obama to Provide Public Access to Contracting and Ethics Databases POGO wants Public DoD Revolving Door Database The Politics of Contracting http://www.pogo.org Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is an independent nonprofit that investigates and exposes corruption and other misconduct in order to achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government.

Drugmakers, Doctors Rake in Billions on Swine Flu

Our health is not the real focus in the "new and improved" Flu pandemic massive scare campaign by the Drug Cartel Pharmaceutical Manufactures and their coconspirators within the U.S. Government.

The Drug Cartel Pharmaceutical Manufacturers have already sold over $1.5 billion worth of swine flu shots, in addition to the $1 billion for the regular seasonal flu they booked earlier this year. These inoculations are part of a much wider and rapidly growing $20 billion global vaccine market.

"The vaccine market is booming," says Bruce Carlson, spokesperson at market research firm Kalorama, which publishes an annual survey of the vaccine industry. "It's an enormous growth area for pharmaceuticals at a time when other areas are not doing so well," he says, noting that the pipeline for more traditional blockbuster drugs such as Lipitor and Nexium has thinned.

As always with pandemic flu's, TAXPAYERS are footing the $1.5 billion check for the 250 million swine flu vaccines that our government has ordered so far and will be distributing FREE to doctors, pharmacies and schools.

In addition, Congress has set aside more then $10 billion this year to research flu viruses, monitor swine flu's progress and educate the public about prevention.

Our government officials have granted immunity against any repercussions/law suits to the Drug Cartel Pharmaceutical manufacturers and any involved government official, in this "New and improved" massive flu scare campaign and their "New and improved, untested, unknown swine flu vaccine."

WHY THE NEED FOR IMMUNITY?

U.S. Government Grants Swine Flu Vaccine Makers & Involved Government Officials Immunity!

Why is it the U.S. Government senses the need to protect the drug cartel makers of the swine flu vaccine, and their coconspirators in government from any repercussions/law suits arising from the use of this untested/unproved vaccine which they are forcing on hundreds of millions of people with their vast media backed scare conspiracy?

Remember the Avian flu scare which received so much hype several years ago? Very few people died or were hospitalized, yet according to media reports, then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld alone made $5 million on sales of Tamiflu, which were never needed at the time.

Consider also that Adrian Gibbs, a scientist on the team that developed Tamiflu (the drug most recommended for the swine flu), submitted a report stating that swine flu may have been man-made.

There are many questions regarding all of the fear hype around both the Avian flu and Swine flu. How much of this is a way to pump billions of dollars into the pockets of the REAL DRUG CARTELS: the pharmaceutical manufacturers?

THINK VERY CAREFULLY before deciding to get a Swine flu vaccine for yourself or your children! You may end up doing more harm than good!

Also consider the Avian flu vaccine had a shelf life of two(2) years. After the drug was sold to countries around the world(besides the U.S.) which stock piled the drug anticipating great devastation if they did not have it on hand; the BIG devastation never occurred and the vast majority of those vaccines went unused and unusable.

The REAL DEVASTATION was, and continues to be, that MEGA RIP OFF by the REAL DRUG CARTELS: The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, all the while being assisted by many elected officials in our Congress, Senate & the Whiter House!

Why else would the government seek to protect the makers of these drugs, and themselves by granting immunity?

Unless they truly believe there may be some very significantly dangerous results from taking the vaccine, before proper testing of the vaccine?