Drug Companies to Consumers - Pound Sand
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PhRMA Investing in Autocracy
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is an industry association that represents research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. They lobby for the pharmacy industry. Recently, they spent millions lobbying against the Inflation Reduction Act because it had a provision to negotiate 10 drugs for Medicare recipients.
It was reported last month that they have donated a more than half million dollars to organizations planning what a MAGA policy agenda will look like in a new Trump administration. Here is a link to the report in accountable.us.
Those plans include include massive deportations and detention camps, gutting the civil service and replacing government employees with political lackeys, and turning the justice department and the military against political enemies and threats to power. Here is a link to Project 2025 if you can stand to read it.
Here is a list of the fine organizations they choose to support.
The Heritage Foundation, which received $125,000 from PhRMA and is the architect of Project 2025. The Heritage Foundation maintains a so-called Election Fraud Database based on unfounded claims that voter fraud is widespread, with a Brookings Institution analysis of the data finding Texas voter fraud was a mere 0.000096%, as Heritage personnel push allegations of third parties “harvesting” mail-in ballots to influence election results.
American Commitment, a conservative nonprofit dedicated to “free markets, economic growth, constitutionally-limited government, property rights, and individual freedom,” received $75,000 from PhRMA. In January 2019, American Commitment joined conservative groups in attacking H.R. 1, the For the People Act—which had been described as the “most significant voting rights and democracy reform in more than half a century”—as “fundamentally undermin[ing] the American electoral system.”
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization of conservative state legislators dedicated to “the principles of limited government, free markets, and federalism,” received $110,000 from PhRMA. PhRMA also donated $75,000 to committees tied to Florida House Rep. Daniel Perez, an insurance attorney who served as the 2023 ALEC National Chair and is the current Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. In early 2020, ALEC CEO Lisa Nelson was involved in discussions on how conservative state legislators and attorneys could “‘question the validity of an election,’” including drafting letters for legislators to send to secretaries of state.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a conservative think tank, received $25,000 from PhRMA. CEI President and CEO Kent Lassman coauthored a chapter of the Mandate for Leadership related to trade while seven other CEI employees were cited as contributors. In November 2021, CEI Senior Fellow Mario Loyola, who also contributed to the Mandate for Leadership, parroted bogus claims that January 6 should not have been labeled an insurrection given it “had no chance” with progressives’ control of all institutions, likening progressive protesters in Wisconsin and Texas to insurrectionists and claiming the media would have called the election stolen if “Trump loyalists” had won.
FreedomWorks, a conservative advocacy group, received $70,000 from PhRMA. Stephen Moore, FreedomWorks’ Senior Economist, coauthored a chapter of Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership discussing policy recommendations within the U.S. Treasury Department while two other FreedomWorks employees were listed as contributors to the report. Following the 2020 presidential election, FreedomWorks amplified baseless voter fraud claims and later selected conservative election lawyer Cleta Mitchell to lead its “National Election Protection Initiative” seeking to restrict state voter access while also rallying opposition to federal legislation expanding voter access. Cleta Mitchell closely advised Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and has since continued to advocate for restricting voter access, including an April 2023 discussion with conservative donors where she pressed the need to “limit voting on college campuses, same-day voter registration and automatic mailing of ballots to registered voters” as reforms were needed “‘for any candidate other than a leftist to have a chance to WIN in 2024.’”
The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a conservative think tank dedicated to “advancing free-market policy solutions,” received $125,000 from PhRMA. In a June 2020 op-ed, Pacific Research Institute fellow Kerry Jackson spouted right-wing claims that mail-in ballots would lead to “worse results” and “ballot harvesting” to influence election results, claiming the U.S. government shouldn’t make it “too easy” for voters to cast ballots.
Virtually every new drug approved by the FDA from 2010 to 2020 was the result of public investment. Here is a reference back that up.
PhRMA Lawsuit to Halt Drug Negotiations
A federal district judge on Monday granted the Biden administration’s request to dismiss a lawsuit challenging Medicare’s new drug price negotiation program from the drug industry lobbying organization PhRMA. The move is an early but positive sign for the Biden administration in a legal fight that could stretch for years, as a host of major drugmakers, including Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Johnson & Johnson, have also filed lawsuits over the constitutionality of Medicare’s new powers. Link to the article.
Remember while negotiations were underway for those 10 drugs 600 had price increases in January 2024.
Over 30% of us have skipped drugs because of the cost, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
There’s only one way to get drug prices effectively negotiated. Universal Healthcare.
Let’s remind our legislators over and over that they need to look out for us, not the drug companies.
ACTION
Call/write your Member of Congress and Senators and let them know that Universal Healthcare, like HR 3421, will enable negotiation for all prescriptions for all 330 million of us. Their contact info is in the Resources section below.
Or use RESISTBOT to send the email below by texting from your cellphone SIGN PIHXKI to 50409.
“I am your constituent and I am appalled that PhRMA, the drug industry lobby, has been trying to stop the government’s negotiation of 10 drugs. MEANWHILE 600 drugs went up in price this past January. I want you to take notice that we the people are being taken to the cleaners when we can least afford it. Over 30% of us have skipped medication because of the cost.
If we had Universal Healthcare in place, like HR 3421, then we could negotiate fair prices for all of us. I know your really busy but this is a kitchen table issue and you can fix it. Cosponsor and enact Universal Healthcare, HR 3421 and lower the cost of drugs for all of us.”
Healthcare Transparency Extra Credit
To: your Senators] [H/T] [Text SIGN PEKZVJ to Resistbot at 50409 or via Apple Messages / WHATSAPP / MESSENGER]
I strongly urge you to prioritize and pass S.3548 - the Health Care Prices Revealed and Information to Consumers Explained Transparency Act, to end over-charging for health care and to give Americans clear hospital prices.
For too long, people like me haven't been able to get an upfront accurate price for the health care services we need. With health care prices rising, we are shouldering more of the cost out of our own pockets. So it's more important than ever to be able to find clear prices in dollars and cents.
Two years ago hospitals were required to list their prices, but too many posted them in hard-to-understand formulas and using complicated digital files. We need hospital prices in dollars and cents rather than unreliable estimates or hard-to-use formulas. We need to have clear pricing for health care treatments before we receive them.
Please vote to require hospital price transparency to improve competitive pricing between facilities, and to institute site-neutral payments to eliminate unnecessary over-charges in doctor's offices. The House has already passed health care price transparency legislation—it’s time for the Senate to do their part. Thanks.
RESOURCES
Healthcare Advocacy (Us)
Website
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare
Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Find My Elected Officials
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
By phone: (202) 224-3121
By email: democracy.io
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Organizations to Contact
National Nurses United Medicare4All
Physicians for a National Health Program
One Payer States
Healthcare Now
Reproductive Health
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion
Planned Parenthood
Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.
United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.
Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.
If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Disinformation Management
Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water RESISTBOT write up
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