Comments on: Under The Influence
60 Minutes' Steve Kroft Reports On Drug Lobbyists' Role in Passing Bill That Keeps Drug Prices High
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- It's curious that no where in the segment was any mention of the millions of dollars of FREE prescriptions the Pharmaceutical industry routinely GIVES away to needy customers, for years. Where is the balanced reporting? Why is enormous good pro bono work done by this industry never reported by this network? Check out RXASSIST among other PRIVATELY funded prescription assistance programs available to consumers: http://www.rxassist.org/default.cfm
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- AN INVESTIGATION AND REVOTE IS DEFINITELY IN ORDER. BUT WILL ANYONE HAVE THE BALLS TO STAND UP AND DO IT.
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- I AM APPALED AT THE ARROGANCE AND FILTHINESS OF OUR GOVERNMENT. THEY HAD 15 MINUTES TO VOTE, YET TOOK THREE HOURS AND DID IT AT 3 A.M. IT JUST PROVES THAT OUR GOVERNMENT CAN GET AWAY WITH JUST ABOUT ANYTHING AS THEY ARE SELF SERVING GREEDY ***. IF ANY ONE OF US SO CALLED AVERAGE JOES PULLED A STUNT LIKE THIS WE'D BE FIRED. IF BUSH HAD KNOWLEGE OF THIS HE SHOULD BE IMPEACHED. THESE PEOPLE ARE SELF SERVING CLOWNS THAT DON;T GIVE A *** ABOUT THE AVERAGE AMERICAN. IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE MONEY THEY CAN PUT INTO THEIR OWN POCKETS. THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE OUT OF CONTROL. THESE PEOPLE SHOULD ROT IN HELL FOR THEIR GREED AND LACK OF INTEGRITY!!!!!!
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- I think that 1) government officials should be banned from working for a private entity that they oversaw for three years. 2) The selling of our government is dispicable. In fact, some of us are begining to think that perhaps our government is a sham for the corporations, especially when you see the global warming crisis and what the government is doing about it. One day we will wake up and it will be too late; we should have taken action back in 1980. The pharmeceutical lobbist and others: oil and gas, automobile etc are getting what they want from our politicians and we are suffering and dieing of cancer by the hundred of thousands, but money rules. Thanks 60 minutes for the expose, but what took you so long four years are you owned too?
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- 60 Minuets Finally Tells the Truth about Big Pharma
Now that's news! - Reply to this comment
- Dear Baby Boomers,
Join AARP and stick together on who you vote for. There won't be enough money out there that will have the power of this generations voting power. If your representatives don't support bringing in cheaper drugs from overseas, then vote them out of office. It's that simple.
Let's bring in foreign pharmaceuticals and let this Republican controlled industry feel what it's like for the rest of American industry to compete on a global scale. - Reply to this comment
- I agree with the overall conclusion of the segment. Unfortunately, the story is tainted by a gross error in the price of Zocor, comparing the cost of proprietary Zocor for Medicare with generic simvastatin for the VA. As an individual I can and do purchase generic simvastatin at the same price at Costco as the amount quoted for the VA. Shame on you Sixty Minutes; you should check your facts.
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- I agree with the overall conclusion of the segment. Unfortunately, the story is tainted by a gross error in the price of Zocor, comparing the cost of proprietary Zocor for Medicare with generic simvastatin for the VA. As an individual I can and do purchase generic simvastatin at the same price at Costco as the amount quoted for the VA. Shame on you Sixty Minutes; you should check your facts.
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- This story was interesting but disappointing--it recycled reporting that appeared in the NYTimes years ago when the prescription drug bill was passed. Shouldn't 60 Minutes take the story a step farther and offer some analysis?
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- Passed in 2003?...So what took you(60 minutes) so long...to....report.....this?
It's not like "government" really knew what to do anyway!But it should have been Monkey see...monkey DON'T.So Medicare got drug benefits,and "Big Pharma" got 13 million new customers!
Bill Pevsner
Sierra Madre, California - Reply to this comment
- Passed in 2003?...So what took you(60 minutes) so long...to....report.....this?
It's not like "government" really knew what to do anyway!But it should have been Monkey see...monkey DON'T.So Medicare got drug benefits,and "Big Pharma" got 13 million new customers!
Bill Pevsner
Sierra Madre, California - Reply to this comment
- I agree with the overall conclusion of the segment. Unfortunately, the story is tainted by a gross error in the price of Zocor, comparing the cost of proprietary Zocor for Medicare with generic simvastatin for the VA. As an individual I can and do purchase generic simvastatin at the same price at Costco as the amount quoted for the VA. Shame on you Sixty Minutes; you should check your facts.
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- Passed in 2003?...So what took you(60 minutes) so long...to....report.....this?
It's not like "government" really knew what to do anyway!But it should have been Monkey see...monkey DON'T.So Medicare got drug benefits,and "Big Pharma" got 13 million new customers!
Bill Pevsner
Sierra Madre, California - Reply to this comment
- Passed in 2003?...So what took you(60 minutes) so long...to....report.....this?
It's not like "government" really knew what to do anyway!But it should have been Monkey see...monkey DON'T.So Medicare got drug benefits,and "Big Pharma" got 13 million new customers!
Bill Pevsner
Sierra Madre, California - Reply to this comment
- I agree with the overall conclusion of the segment. Unfortunately, the story is tainted by a gross error in the price of Zocor, comparing the cost of proprietary Zocor for Medicare with generic simvastatin for the VA. As an individual I can and do purchase generic simvastatin at the same price at Costco as the amount quoted for the VA. Shame on you Sixty Minutes; you should check your facts.
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- Good story, but misses the real villain. If we let Medicare negotiate prices may go down a *little*, and research will go down a *little*.
However, where are drug dollars are *really* going is to subsidize first-world countries like Japan, Canada, and most of Europe that have drug price controls.
With prices dictated at low levels virtually everywhere else in the world, where do you think drug companies go to get research funding and profits. That's right, your pocket.
As usual there is underhanded behavior on the right, and wrong-headed solutions on the left. - Reply to this comment
- Our elected white collar crime people are stealing from us right in front of us and nothing is being done to stop this outrageous sin of greed on the backs of so many Poor Americans.
What does it take to wake up the constituentsy?Where are the laws that protect us against these avericious self serving politicians ?
I am Sick to think there is no repercussions for them.May they all Go To Hell and suffer the pains for there greed.They took the office to protect and serve the American Public !
What there serving is themselves !
mountain1fa - Reply to this comment
- I assume CBS, which carries drug company ads, cannot lead a campaign to get congress to free Medicare to bargain for drug prices, BUT SOMEONE OUGHT TO. Please advise how I can get a list of the votes by all house and senate members on both the original drug bill and on the defeated attempt to change it.
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- Under the influence was a great story; not one of those fluffy buggers 60 Minutes all too often runs in recent years. It is stories like this that give our democracy a fighting chance. Real journalism. My biggest regret is that 60 Minut4es didn't put the Senate on the hot seat for not passing the bill. Time those fellas in the Fat Cat 100 Group show how serious they are about keeping government costs down. Hope there is followup. Great that Congressman Burton showed he isn't a shallow fellow like so many.
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- It's good the debacle of buying votes and bills is finally reaching the light of day. a "Posted by NYCViewer at 10:56 PM : Apr 02, 2007" has got to be paid by one of the lobbies. Same double speak misdirection, or unbelievably naive. Does he believe any significant portion of the $30B sales profits go to reasearch?
Obviously the "influence circle" extends, at least, to the presidential circle. As much as it pains me, most of this debacle seems to be Republican. I'm not so sure that it'snot just that they are in there now. I feel certain the drug lobby will find enough Democrat votes to insure more "favorable" actions by congress and the President. What a refreshing thought to have an honest congress for a change.
I wish - but don't expect. - Reply to this comment
