[lit-ideas] Re: vicious budget cuts

Phil:
I think this is terrible but the situation is not the fault of drug
companies. As I have said before, I am happy with the Canadian system
of universal healthcare.

I would be too.  I visit Canada a lot and I hear people say that they
"cherish" it.  So much so that we tried to emigrate.

And Medicare part D, which is the government's new prescription program,
was created by the devil.  Or someone like that, except I don't believe in
devils.  It has put me on tranquilizers for the first time in my life.  I
have been trying to get this settled since Dec. 24th.  I have now concluded
that there is no way to compare which plan to go with.  In my case, it's
irrelevant, as I was forced into it.  In my husband's case, I got him into
it and am now trying to get him out of it.  

This plan is not for people, it's for drug companies and insurance
companies.  Oh, by the way, some people have to get into it even if they
don't need any medicines.  Oh, and the government cannot negotiate prices
for Medicare, but they can do it for the Veterans Administration.  The
Republicans have been promising to get out of our lives since Nixon.  Ha!

Veronica Caley
Milford, MI

> [Original Message]
> From: Phil Enns <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 1/30/2006 9:12:18 PM
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: vicious budget cuts
>
> Veronica Caley wrote:
>
> "Actually, a lot of the research for new drugs is based on studies into
> basic research and other types in universities.  Much of this is paid
> for by tax money and funds provided by foundations and grants."
>
> Here at U. of Toronto, a lot of the research is funded by the drug
> companies, as well as the government.  I don't like what this does to
> the University but it does give students remarkable opportunities.
> Furthermore, because of the association with the University, the
> research has an additional degree of critical study that might not
> otherwise occur.
>
>
> Veronica continues:
>
> "I am willing to pay for these drugs for poor people.  I object to
> paying significantly more than Europeans and Canadians, many of whom are
> not poor.  The US is no longer number one or two in the standard of
> living.  And the number of poor people in this country is multiplying at
> an appalling rate.  And if you read Julie's post re the health issues in
> her family, you know that sometimes families can't get insurance because
> they are sick."
>
> I think this is terrible but the situation is not the fault of drug
> companies.  As I have said before, I am happy with the Canadian system
> of universal healthcare.
>
>
> Veronica continues:
>
> "My dental hygienist told me the story of one of her other patients, a
> person who worked for one of the pharmaceutical companies.  She quit
> because she couldn't stomach charging people $300 for a month's supply
> of a drug that cost $3.00 to make."
>
> My sister-in-law is a project manager for a company that tests and
> produces drugs for the drug companies.  The testing in particular is
> horribly expensive.  I asked her once why some chemist couldn't come up
> with something in her garage and put it on the market.  My sister-in-law
> said that it was possible as long as the chemist had access to the
> millions of dollars it would take to do the tests and then make the
> drug.  She added that the majority of drugs tested don't make it to
> market.
>
> I don't want to suggest that the system is a good one, I just don't
> think that the proffered 'fixes' are appropriate.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Phil Enns
> Toronto, ON
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
> digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html



------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html

Other related posts: