Generic drug prices on now jumping on the Obama Care Band Wagon
Some low-cost generic drugs that have helped restrain health care costs for decades are seeing unexpected price spikes of up to 8,000 percent, prompting a backlash from patients, pharmacists and now Washington lawmakers.
A Senate panel met Thursday to scrutinize the recent, unexpected trend among generic medicines, which usually cost 30 to 80 percent less than their branded counterparts.
Experts said there are multiple, often unrelated, forces behind the price hikes, including drug ingredient shortages, industry consolidation and production slowdowns due to manufacturing problems. But the lawmakers convening Thursday�s hearing said the federal government needs to play a bigger role in restraining prices.
�If generic drug prices continue to rise then we are going to have people all over this country who are sick and need medicine and who simply will not be able to buy the medicine they need,� said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging.

yeah ive already seen it on my meds....prices have gone up 50% or more in the last 2 years for stuff that has been off patent for a long time

Not directed at you Sheridan.

Waaaaaaaaa! It's not fair!

Sounds like we need more govt control. Gee, they couldn't possibly have fabricated this scenario so the American people would scream for govt intervention, right?

Good Gawd, we make it easy for them to control us.

no gov't control is whats getting us into the phuggin mess

It won't just be the elderly on a fixed income that will have to decide between getting their medications refilled or paying an electric bill. ...or eating.

Then why are some meds from Canada upwards of 10 times cheaper?

cause someone has to pay for R&D and thats us but we arent talking those drugs here, we are talking off patent drugs that no single company owns yet are still going up in price by leaps and bounds....

Even some true capitalist countries like Mexico have the wisdom to set maximum prices on medicines.

Given this WTF can government contribute?

It's called rationing. Obamacare policies will begin to only pay $X amount for each drug. That price will be capped. If the pharmacy won't sell the drug at that price, then they will stop carrying it, or they will stop accepting Obamacare insurance, creating a two-tiered healthcare system like they have in England - the haves and have nots. The haves purchase insurance over and above the National healthcare system to make sure they get the best quality care and medicines without the restraints of the National healthcare system.

Traitor care, the gift that keeps on giving.

Kinda reminds you of the clap, it just won't go away and the longer it's around the more it stings.

One more thing the middle class can no longer afford: healthcare.

Since HMO's don't cover squat, we took a HUGE financial hit two years ago when my wife and daughter suddenly needed surgery. The daughter actually had two surgeries, so that was a total of 3 in one year; we're still paying. Well now the wife may need another, that will break us and just may force us into bankruptcy. See how well government has fixed healthcare.

Amen!
If anyone thinks generics are expensive now, just wait until the Govt gets (more) involved! I think they have already fugged it up enough.

That's another Marxist myth Gruber's voters swallow without blinking.

My wife has been bravely fighting a brain tumor for 4 years.
At the onset we were given 12-14 mos.
After about 2 years he blood cell count couldn't handle the newest drugs.
The doctor put her on an old school drug from the 60's that was originally designed to be a tylenol type drug but became a cancer drug. It has stopped the tumor in its tracks.
Anyhow this drug that was gonna be a tylenol type competitor is only made by one company and now its crazy expensive.
We were able to Cobra with her old employer for 29 mos.
During that time they switched insurance carriers and the new one was dragging its feet on approving the drug.
I finally got through to the right guy and said you've got to make a decision. HERES WHAT HE SAID......she takes (4) 100 mg pills daily....our cost is $36,000 per month. If she could take (2) 200 mg pills.....the same dose just in 2 pills.....our cost is $18000 per month. SHe was totally able to swallow the bigger pills and everything got approved.
But.....how crazy is that bullcrap?? That mean the prior insurance company spent over $200,000 annualy that could have gone to another patient.
YOu always hear stories like this but can't believe them till you go down the path yourself.....just crazy.
But the bustards in washington would rather fight ea other than look at things and really try and fix them.
ALL of us need to keep this in mind...because everyone of us is just minutes away from a possible diagnosis like this.

bernie sanders is an effing communist. He won't be head of that committee much longer, as he caucuses with the other liberals and dhimmicrats.
One factor that really drives generic prices is the constant legal battles for manufacture and distribution. No one ever mentions that. Probably 15% of the cost of every pill is legal costs.
State formularies for Medicaid. The constant jockeying for position and market share drives prices. Half the contracts are probably illegal in one way or another. This also drives prices up. No one ever looks into that though.
Distributers such as McKesson, Cardinal Health, Amerisource play games with the manufacturers constantly. The real profits for generics goes into their pockets, not into the pockets of the manufacturer.

Traitor Care. That implies at one point Mr. O was an American. I personally have some doubts. kwg