Did the Whitehouse make a deal with big pharma?  According to the latest reports from Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times yes, a deal was struck between the administration and Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA).

The deal, supposedly struck in July, details provided for PhRMAto: ¹

1. Agree to increase of Medicaid rebate from 15.1 – 23.1% ($34 billion)

2. Agree to get FOBs done (but no agreement on details — express disagreement on data exclusivity which both sides say does not affect the score of the legislation.) ($9 billion)

3. Sell drugs to patients in the donut hole at 50% discount ($25 billion)
This totals $68 billion

4. Companies will be assessed a tax or fee that will score at $12 billion. There was no agreement as to how or on what this tax/fee will be based.

Total: $80 billion (Commitment of up to $80 billion, but not more than $80 billion.)

In exchange for these items, the White House agreed to:

1. Oppose importation

2. Oppose rebates in Medicare Part D

3. Oppose repeal of non-interference

4. Oppose opening Medicare Part B

But Was It a Good Deal?

As Howie Mandel would ask, did the Whitehouse make a GOOD deal?  Not according to Greg Palast who says $80 billion is only 2% of the $3.6 trillion the government projects to spend on drugs over the next ten years.²

Whether or not the deal still exists is uncertain and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made it clear that the House is not bound by any agreement to which it was not a party.  But, what’s going on?  Why any deal at all?  Well, instead of having the considerable finances available to the pharmaceutical industry aimed against health care reform, the drug industry has authorized an expenditure of $150 million in ads favoring health care reform.³  $150 million in supportive advertising is nothing to be sneezed at considering all of the opposition from the right wing – ads from religious groups and lobbyists have been aired and the opposition is bolstered by support from right wing talk radio hosts and t.v. commentators.  According to a study by HCD Research those anti-health care ads are more effective than pro-health care ads.

I believe that both sides of this issue have sold it’s soul to the devil and our best interest along with it.  Just once in my lifetime I would like for the government to do what is right for the country….to be guided by empirical evidence, morality and a driving force to improve the lives of the American citizens.  We’ve been down this road before of health care reform being denied the country by special interests and politicians who do not have the courage of conviction.

Before I throw this health care reform baby out with the bathwater I will wait to see what the final bill looks like but as of right now it’s not looking good.  The final bill is likely to be so watered down that the only people who benefit will be the pharmaceutical industry, insurance corporations and politicians patting themselves on the back for having accomplished at least some semblance of reform.  What truly needs to be reformed is lobbyists, special interest groups and the fringe on both sides driving an issue that for many Americans is a matter of life and death.