It kinda makes me glad my wife works in pharmaceuticals; with the Baby Boomers getting old, drug companies are going to be laughing all the way to the bank.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite. - John Kenneth Galbraith
Socialist entitlement programs are a freight train heading for a brick wall?
WHO'DA THUNK IT!!!!!1111!!1!11!!
But wait I thought the SSI crisis was a republican fabrication aimed at getting us to approve raiding the non-existant trust fund by PRIVATIZING IT!!! Maradon! fucked around with this message on 10-30-2006 at 11:40 AM.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite. - John Kenneth Galbraith
The more people who buy a product, the cheaper that product gets for each individual - without exception. I really don't gather how you can say drug companies are "laughing all the way to the bank" or how they have anything to do with the entitlement program crisis at all.
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Maradon! still thinks SARS jokes are topical, as evidenced by:
Why do you keep trying to pin this on pharmaceutical companies?
No particular reason; I should've been more general and said the healthcare industry in general.
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The more people who buy a product, the cheaper that product gets for each individual - without exception. I really don't gather how you can say drug companies are "laughing all the way to the bank" or how they have anything to do with the entitlement program crisis at all.[/QB]
They're an object of ire. Like I said, we may not be able to change/scrap the entitlement programs until enough Baby Boomers are dead to outvote them--I honestly believe that the ideological gap between the generations is large enough that such a thing is at least possible. But the healthcare industry in general is a target for their ire and could be affected by demands for healthcare reform. 43 million uninsured is, after all a huge number, and they get sick just as often as the well-insured do. Having no other outlet for their discontent, the uninsured could make for a powerful voting bloc in the future. I mean, shit, look at what evangelical Christians are able to do.
So basically, they're not really related to one another, but public perception is a powerful thing. If 25% of the country is retarded enough to believe that the government caused 9/11, then they're retarded enough to lump the healthcare industry in with entitlement programs.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite. - John Kenneth Galbraith
Maradon, increasing the number of people who want to buy a product does not always decrease the price. Drug companies set prices for their products to maximize profits, and that is not always at a lower price where it is accessible to more people.
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Noxhil2 had this to say about Optimus Prime:
In order to reduce the costs of medical care under Medicre/Medicaid, we're probably going to see the U.S. trend towards doing what the rest of the world does- "negotiating" with drug companies to set prices. It's unfortunate, since it will surely slow private research, but if we don't we'll likely see the prices of healthcare skyrocket even more. And frankly, I'm tired of seeing the U.S. finance the health research of the world.Maradon, increasing the number of people who want to buy a product does not always decrease the price. Drug companies set prices for their products to maximize profits, and that is not always at a lower price where it is accessible to more people.
Indeed. It's not surprising that people routinely setup bus tours; loaded up with Senior Citizens that cross the boarder into Canada to get drugs at a fraction of the price they can get them here.
The pharmacists up there aren't supposed to fill their perscriptions, but most of them can't say no to old sick people.
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Maradon! had this to say about Cuba:
The more people who buy a product, the cheaper that product gets for each individual - without exception.
Costs of drugs have decreased steadily over the past twenty years and use of generic drugs have skyrocketed, there's no denying that.
That does not mean that there aren't issues with the pharmaceutical industry, mostly related to the patent system. As patents are getting closer to ending, you will actually see drug prices increasing rather than decreasing. Also, when a patent is close to ending it is standard process to file a new patent with a slightly changed formula. This creates some major issues;
1) It allows the company to charge more for the "new and improved" drug while cutting production of the older version. Obviously, this allows them to resell a single drugg to infinity while only taking hits in sales during the middle of the pill's lifespan.
2) It allows them to file lawsuits to prevent generic companies from creating generic pills that would decrease prices. Why? Any patent suits filed against another company concerning a drug will result in an automatic 30-month hold on the new pill. These suits can be chained, effectively killing a companies ability to make a generic drug.
3) It stifles research. Since small formula changes allow for a new patent, you do not have to create dramatically better drugs to remain profitable.
4) It hurts the consumer. When you do see dramatically better versions of a formula, it definitely isn't uncommon to put that version on hold till a patent can be refiled. Some of these better versions reduce the dosage needed, which means less profit.
Overall, I wouldn't say the pharmaceuticals aren't evil. Legal loopholes in the patent system definitely allow them to contradict what Econ 101 will teach you though. Talonus fucked around with this message on 10-30-2006 at 06:08 PM.
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This insanity brought to you by Blindy.:
Wake up and smell the monopolies- the only factor that effects the pricing of medication is how expensive it'd have to be before there is an incentive for another company to come along and undercut you, at least in the US market. Customers are not price sensitive, there is government protection for your product in the forms of patents and expensive FDA requirements, there is little to no threat of substitution on new medication developments, the buyers have next to no bargaining power... it's pretty much the perfect industry to be in.
Anything relating to healthcare is perfect right now. My company is in the home health business, and with the massive nursing shortage as it is now, we can already bill over $70/hr for home health care.
You'd be a fool to not go into nursing school right now if you were young, especially if you were a male (male nurses make 1.5x what female ones do). Right now you can work 2-3 days a week and pull in over $50,000/yr.
Hospitals are giving out $10,000+ signing bonuses if you commit to work for them for X amount of hours.
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Reynar had this to say about (_|_):
....You'd be a fool to not go into nursing school right now if you were young, especially if you were a male (male nurses make 1.5x what female ones do). Right now you can work 2-3 days a week and pull in over $50,000/yr.
....
Whoa wait a second ther mister, Nurseing shortage is area dependant, Cause I know in this area they have abundant RN and LPN. Also depnds on who is running the show
And that Glass elevator with male nurses is starting to shatter, I know for a fact that Meridian had it shattered here localy.
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Peter was naked while typing this:
Whoa wait a second ther mister, Nurseing shortage is area dependant, Cause I know in this area they have abundant RN and LPN. Also depnds on who is running the showAnd that Glass elevator with male nurses is starting to shatter, I know for a fact that Meridian had it shattered here localy.
Well LPNs are low-skill positions and easily filled -- same goes for CNAs, so it's not surprising.
Nationally, there is a huge shortage of RNs and NPs. And the baby boomers are just now starting to hit old age, in 10 years it will be a money making machine to be in any sort of nursing business.
You must not have old people where you live or something. We have male nurses in Florida billing at over $150/hr, and hospitals paying to reclocate these people from basically anywhere. The largest hospitals in Detroit are handing out job offers to people who haven't even finished their school yet.
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Reynar had this to say about John Romero:
....You must not have old people where you live or something....
No we have a metric fuckload were I live, have about 4-5 large retirement villages and nursing homes. And we have a fairly large hospital and medical complex (Jersey Shore Medical) close by.
