While Congress continues to debate the growing power of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the prescription drug supply chain, several state legislatures and attorneys general are no longer waiting.
Price spreading, patient steering, complexity, lack of transparency, and flat-out greed have sadly led to a ridiculous pricing system for pharmaceuticals in America while devastating independent pharmacies. We need transparency and legislation that would lead to the elimination of PBM's egregious misbehavior. The government, yes, the government, should negotiate drug prices so that Americans are getting the best value on medications without compromising our health.
The solution is to do what most countries have which is universal healthcare and to open up pharmacies like in Mexico. Where u can buy over the counter meds like a bottle of antibiotics for a fraction of the cost and don’t need a prescription.
"As you’d expect, insurers and PBM-aligned groups are pushing back. A senior lobbyist for Regence BlueCross BlueShield, the second largest insurer in the state, said the bill would lead to higher drug costs and “be paid by members in premium increases.” Which is the usual song they sing. La, la, la. Blah, blah, blah."
I get that this is the usual line from the health insurance companies/PBMs, but, given the consolidation of power in the hands of a few PBMs, why wouldn't the PBMs just pass these costs directly onto consumers? Are there other provisions to prevent this or is the thought that it's an acceptable sacrifice for consumers to pay more for scripts in order to avoid pharmacy consolidation/pharmacy deserts?
I amended my statement. Now. I can save half from the cost of health insurance, and out the big payers saga PBMs out if business. Go read my posts. What are YOU doing to save healthcare.? Don't disparage your superiors.
Here’s where I’m at. In 2020 I asked UnitedHealthgroup to mail their customers a high quality mask..It was a no, although I few months later UnitedHealthgroup sent me an inferior mask with their logo across my mouth.
Government is not, never has been and never will be a viable solution. We as a nation spent $1.9 trillion on the ACA last year and got exactly NOTHING for it.
The only solution is to out the big payers out if business, and vote out the bureaucrats that got us here.
At Sentia, we can show you how to do both of those things.
Your stats are way off. We spent $91 billion on the ACA last year, providing health care for over 20 million citizens. Ask them if we got "NOTHING for it". It ain't perfect, but it is saving lives and, as health care usually does, providing more productive, happy, and healthy citizens.
Mr Jennings: I understand tour desire to promote your business, Sentia Health, but you should do so with credible facts and figures rather than dubious dollar amounts that are closer to fiction than fact (the ACA spent nowhere close to the $1.9 trillion you claim). You say we taxpayers got exactly nothing for our expenditures on the ACA last year. I for one can claim it provided life itself for so many of our fellow citizens.
Regarding your $1.9 trillion ACA expenditure claim, I challenge it. For 2024,according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/what-does-the-federal-government-spend-on-health-care/), it concludes "Mandatory health spending includes nearly all Medicare spending ($839 billion), federal spending on Medicaid and CHIP ($584 billion in federal funding), and the refundable portion of the health insurance premium tax credit for coverage through the ACA Marketplaces ($111 billion in federal funding)."
These figures are verifiable and are far from your claims. I wish you luck in your Sentia Health business. Anyway, what price life?
What is patently false? The ACA is an abomination that is literally killing people. SAVING people would mean making healthcare cause less than half what it does now. Either support your claim with facts, or be silent.
Price spreading, patient steering, complexity, lack of transparency, and flat-out greed have sadly led to a ridiculous pricing system for pharmaceuticals in America while devastating independent pharmacies. We need transparency and legislation that would lead to the elimination of PBM's egregious misbehavior. The government, yes, the government, should negotiate drug prices so that Americans are getting the best value on medications without compromising our health.
You can stop at "elimination of PBMs..."
The solution is to do what most countries have which is universal healthcare and to open up pharmacies like in Mexico. Where u can buy over the counter meds like a bottle of antibiotics for a fraction of the cost and don’t need a prescription.
Thanks for your reporting & a commitment to health insurance reform.
I've been harmed for decades by the PBM mongrels. While pharma & insurance companies are just as responsible for the greed, PBMs aren't even needed.
"As you’d expect, insurers and PBM-aligned groups are pushing back. A senior lobbyist for Regence BlueCross BlueShield, the second largest insurer in the state, said the bill would lead to higher drug costs and “be paid by members in premium increases.” Which is the usual song they sing. La, la, la. Blah, blah, blah."
I get that this is the usual line from the health insurance companies/PBMs, but, given the consolidation of power in the hands of a few PBMs, why wouldn't the PBMs just pass these costs directly onto consumers? Are there other provisions to prevent this or is the thought that it's an acceptable sacrifice for consumers to pay more for scripts in order to avoid pharmacy consolidation/pharmacy deserts?
I amended my statement. Now. I can save half from the cost of health insurance, and out the big payers saga PBMs out if business. Go read my posts. What are YOU doing to save healthcare.? Don't disparage your superiors.
1) LOVE all this legislation to fight back against PBMs. 2) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the term "fuck-all reimbursement rates."🤣
I misspoke. On healthcare, not the ACA.
https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/what-does-the-federal-government-spend-on-health-care/
This confusion is by design of for-profit private health insurance lobbyists.
Universal, single payer, expanded and improved Medicare for all (one all of the above) is necessary,
Pharmacy In sewers (insurers).Smells of greed.
Here’s where I’m at. In 2020 I asked UnitedHealthgroup to mail their customers a high quality mask..It was a no, although I few months later UnitedHealthgroup sent me an inferior mask with their logo across my mouth.
Government is not, never has been and never will be a viable solution. We as a nation spent $1.9 trillion on the ACA last year and got exactly NOTHING for it.
The only solution is to out the big payers out if business, and vote out the bureaucrats that got us here.
At Sentia, we can show you how to do both of those things.
Your stats are way off. We spent $91 billion on the ACA last year, providing health care for over 20 million citizens. Ask them if we got "NOTHING for it". It ain't perfect, but it is saving lives and, as health care usually does, providing more productive, happy, and healthy citizens.
Mr Jennings: I understand tour desire to promote your business, Sentia Health, but you should do so with credible facts and figures rather than dubious dollar amounts that are closer to fiction than fact (the ACA spent nowhere close to the $1.9 trillion you claim). You say we taxpayers got exactly nothing for our expenditures on the ACA last year. I for one can claim it provided life itself for so many of our fellow citizens.
Regarding your $1.9 trillion ACA expenditure claim, I challenge it. For 2024,according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/what-does-the-federal-government-spend-on-health-care/), it concludes "Mandatory health spending includes nearly all Medicare spending ($839 billion), federal spending on Medicaid and CHIP ($584 billion in federal funding), and the refundable portion of the health insurance premium tax credit for coverage through the ACA Marketplaces ($111 billion in federal funding)."
These figures are verifiable and are far from your claims. I wish you luck in your Sentia Health business. Anyway, what price life?
Is Sentia similar to Suvida owned by UnitedHealthgroup that control providers and the facilities.
This is patently false, and do you even use the ACA? Because I have since its inception. Without it, I would be dead.
What is patently false? The ACA is an abomination that is literally killing people. SAVING people would mean making healthcare cause less than half what it does now. Either support your claim with facts, or be silent.