Saturday, April 14, 2007

Knollenberg Voted to Make Medicare MORE PROFITABLE For Insurance Companies



When Congress passed the Medicare prescription drug bill, they debated various provisions that would help make medication more affordable.

For example, they discussed allowing Seniors to import medicine from Canada where it is significantly less expensive. But, Knollenberg's current Chief of Staff, Trent Wisecup, was the lead lobbyist for the Pharmaceutical companies at the time and he led a campaign to keep Congress from allowing Seniors to import their medicines from Canada.

Joe Knollenberg voted to Stop Seniors from
Importing Less Expensive Medications.


Congress also discussed allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Other government programs such as the Veteran's Administration and Medicaid negotiate drug prices. Such negotiations would have saved Seniors and taxpayers billions of dollars.

Joe Knollenberg Voted To
Prohibit Medicare From
Negotiating Lower Prices on Drugs.

As a result, the Medicare prescription drug program has become just another big profit machine for insurance companies. And insurance companies don't even try to hide the fact that Medicare can pay big profits.

An April 1, 2007 article in a magazine for insurance company executives starts out with the following paragraph:

Most Medicare Advantage and Part D sponsors share a common goal: make Medicare a more profitable line of business.
Yes. Insurance companies are now talking about how to maximize their profits from Medicare. This is obscene.

Joe Knollenberg is fighting to help insurance companies, not Seniors.




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