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Posted on 06/22/2021 2:23:59 PM PDT by CheshireTheCat
The state of Mississippi has filed a lawsuit accusing major pharmaceutical companies of orchestrating an across-the-board insulin price spike after the Biden administration dropped a rule change by the previous administration aimed at lowering them.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch sued the top three insulin manufacturers, saying they were increasing the price of the drug, in some cases nearly 1000%....
Congress has tried several times over recent years to get the price of insulin down, but failure to do so led the Trump administration to a rules change that would have made it easier for patients in rural communities to have access to insulin and other drugs at lower costs. That rule was paused by the Biden administration in January, and earlier this month the White House upheld the decision to scrap it.
All of this comes at the same time as Chuck Grassley and Ron Wyden spearhead an effort to raise before Congress the issue of the surging insulin prices. Grassley and Wyden released a report that “sheds light on factors that led to the surging list price of insulin—a drug that’s been available for almost a century—which has doubled or in some cases tripled in just the past decade, and provides new insight into how the opaque business practices of pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) impact patients, Medicare Part D, and private health plans.”...
(Excerpt) Read more at redstate.com ...
More and more I feel like we are working for the elites in their ant farm.
The govt can’t protect the public from phone scams. Nor can it ensure that a cheap drug like insulin remains cheap. Yet they are going to end white supremacy and save the world.
I’ve read that it’s not just insulin going up in price like that - possibly Epi-Pens too, which (same as insulin) you really don’t have a choice not to purchase.
Another dubious victory for the “cancel everything Trump did” crowd. Wonder if the Big Guy got his ten percent.
In 2020, the average US retail price for a 2 pack of Epi-Pen was $669.82 w/o any insurance.
Medicare or another insurer may lower that cost to$396.41, which is still rather expensive.
Some folks are acutely sensitive to bee stings.
The adults usually know it, having lived that watchful life.
Sort of like being a Hemophiliac. You better know before the big accident happens.
“Nor can it ensure that a cheap drug like insulin remains cheap.”
Someone told me that there’s not competition among insulin producers because one producer bought out all the others so we’re effectively single source.
Does anyone know if that’s true?
There are now a lot of Oral Medications that supplant Insulin use. I’m sure those new Drugs cost a mint.
A Friends Husband who is now in his 80’s was on Insulin for years. His Doctor got him off it and he takes Oral Medication to control his A1C Levels from what she tells me.
Apparently many Insulin Users over medicate themselves if they aren’t careful about Testing. Apparently her Husband did, and he was very rigorous in doing what he needed to do.
I grew up with and went to ole miss with Mississippi tort lawyers
Sad to say
Rich but immoral people
The real price of Epi-pen should be less than $50 and with that could make a great profit.
No. That's not true. However they PAY other pharmas NOT TO PRODUCE insulin. Yes, that's legal thanks to Congress. It is essentially a convoluted way of price fixing.
Epipens can be had for about $60./ea. the alternative “Adrenaclick” brand is a bit cheaper:
https://www.goodrx.com/epinephrine-adrenaclick
You are basically paying for the “auto-injector” mechanism...epinephrine is cheap.
Insulins:
https://www.goodrx.com/insulins
Sen. Manchin’s daughter bought the company that manufactured Epi-Pens. Price went from $67 for two pens to $650 locally. “Somehow” legislation got passed that required schools to purchase these pens. Needless to say that became a financial windfall for the company. I think I recall reading that Under Trump the epi-pen costs began to drop.
Makes me wonder now if Manchin’s daughter might have a financial interest in insulin syringes?
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“Some folks are acutely sensitive to bee stings.”
Me being one of them. During “bee season” I have more than one Epi-Pen within reach anytime I’m outdoors.
L
Trump administration to a rules change that would have made it easier for patients in rural communities to have access to insulin and other drugs at lower costs.
Biden’s body bag count must not have reached it’s goal yet.
Interesting about Manchin’s daughter. I had heard there was some funny business with Epi-Pens and schools being required to purchase that specific brand.
I have two grand-kids with anaphylactic allergy reactions. Meaning throat closing up, stop breathing, serious immediate treatment type reactions. We don’t have a choice when it comes to buying Epi-Pens (or equivalents) and replacing them every 6 months. Only had to use once on my grand-daughter, Thank God.
We purchased new pens after Trump had the prices lowered, & are trying to order some new ones now, before they’re $600 or more for 2.
“However they PAY other pharmas NOT TO PRODUCE insulin.”
Thanks for informing me. That is unbelievable. Could we say that none of our politicians are seriously interested in our healthcare costs? Could we say that a lot of them are being paid by the pharmas?
Community Health Centers (CHCs) provide low cost diabetes care. These centers and their pharmacies are part of the federal 340B program. The 340B program requires drug manufacturers to sell certain medications, including many insulin products, at a reduced cost which is passed onto patients. In order to purchase your insulin products at these reduced costs, you must be a patient of the CHC and fill your insulin prescriptions at a pharmacy located within the CHC or at a pharmacy that is partnering with the CHC.
The executive order temporarily delays for 60 days the effective date of the final rule, titled “Implementation of Executive Order on Access to Affordable Life-saving Medications,” until March 22. The order, published Dec. 23, was to go into effect Jan. 22. The rule would apply to all health centers receiving section 330e grant funds that participate in the 340B drug pricing program, and requires such centers to make insulin and injectable epinephrine available to health center patients identified as low-income or below at the same price the health center paid through the 340B program.
The freeze was part of a broader executive action issued Jan. 20 postponing most rules sent to the Office of the Federal Register for 60 days to allow for a review of “any questions of fact, law and policy the rules may raise” and to consider any pending petitions for reconsideration of rules.
“The temporary delay in the effective date of this final rule is necessary to give department officials the opportunity for further review and consideration of new regulations, consistent with the memorandum of January 20, 2021, from the assistant to the president and chief of staff, entitled ‘Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,’” the executive order states.
Community health centers voiced opposition to the rule when the Trump administration first announced the change. In September, the Office of Management and Budget revised the regulation from an interim final rule to a proposed rule, indicating that the public would have an opportunity to submit written comments before it goes into effect. At the time, the NACHC stated that the rule change would place additional administrative burdens on centers that assist vulnerable populations, instead of placing such a burden on pharmaceutical companies.
These CHC are supposed to be non-profit centers by rule. How to become a NPO is not defined but often takes place by setting payroll at a point where no "profit" is ensured.
Keep in mind that most universities that teach any form of government administration studies also provide degrees in non profit management. So these institutions are tied to the same universities that produce most bureaucrats and politicians today.
These folk have no issues increasing a pharmaceutical corporation internal costs (beholden to shareholders) while lowering their workload at every turn possible.
Lastly, remember that the Clinton Foundation is still looked upon in these circles as a great example of an non-profit.
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