President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were jubilant that their historic health bill had passed. Then before the ink dried attorneys general from 13 states filed suit to stop the initiative, declaringthe lawunconstitional.
I watched the debate as it raged over the weekend. Who was for, who was against, who had 15 seconds, who had two minutes — politicians were spreading the manure pretty thickly. Each representative passionately speechified away in order to get his two cents in.
The only questions that I have are: What about the need for governmental control over the exorbitant prices of prescription medications? What the heck do student loans have to do with health insurance for Americans? And finally, if this plan is so good, why is it taking four years for it to go into effect?
It seems that the rising costs of medicine should have been an integral part of the bill, not student loans. Where is the control over the drug companies? Why should some antibiotics cost $500 or a simple bottle of aspirin $7 a pop? How come the drug companies — through prohibitive pricing — decide who gets the lifesaving cancer treatment. The only provision in the bill is to provide a $250 rebate this year for Medicare prescription drug beneficiaries whose initial benefits run out. What about the rest of us? I have a friend whose daughter needs an expensive medication for a kidney condition. Her plan pays only a portion of it and only for a length of time. The rest has to come out of her pocket.
The drug companies are making out like bandits and no one on the Hill cares about the common man.
Not for nuthin’, but four years?
