Big Win For Big Pharma

In this Associated Press article by Alan Fran he outlines how the big pharmaceutical giants lobbyists made sure that the healthcare reform bill was a WIN for them.

WASHINGTON — Chalk one up for the pharmaceutical lobby. The U.S. drug industry fended off price curbs and other hefty restrictions in President Barack Obama's health care law even as it prepares for plenty of new business when an estimated 32 million uninsured Americans gain health coverage.

To be sure, the law also levies taxes and imposes other costs on pharmaceutical companies, leaving its final impact on the industry's bottom line uncertain. A recent analysis by Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street firm, suggests the overhaul could mean "a manageable hit" of tens of billions of dollars over the coming decade while bolstering the value of drug-company stocks. Others expect profits, not losses, of the same magnitude.

Either way, pharmaceutical lobbyists won new federal policies they coveted and set a trajectory for long-term industry growth. Privately, several of them say their biggest triumph was heading off Democrats led by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who wanted even more money from their industry to finance the health care system's expansion.

"Pharma came out of this better than anyone else," said Ramsey Baghdadi, a Washington health policy analyst who projects a $30 billion, 10-year net gain for the industry. "I don't see how they could have done much better."

Chalk up another one for Kanjorski and Carney's vote for Big Pharma. Washington wasn't worried about taking care of the middle class. It was and will continue to worry about the political dollars dolled out by lobbyists.

As an addendum there is a commercial being aired by "Americans For Stable Quality Care" supporting Paul Kanjorski. Who is a member of that organization? Big Pharma- we represent millions of doctors, nurses, technicians, manufacturers, hospitals, drug companies and health care consumers across the U.S. Never known a loser in a political issue to pay for commercials for a politician.