Was Part D a Giveaway to the Pharmaceutical Industry?

The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) prohibited the government from negotiating drug prices, a feature that the act's critics characterize as a giveaway to the drug industry. Instead of the government negotiating to keep prices down, the act relies on competition among drug companies to obtain...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joseph P. Newhouse (Author), Erica Seiguer (Author), Richard G. Frank (Author)
Format: Book
Published: SAGE Publishing, 2007-02-01T00:00:00Z.
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Summary:The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) prohibited the government from negotiating drug prices, a feature that the act's critics characterize as a giveaway to the drug industry. Instead of the government negotiating to keep prices down, the act relies on competition among drug companies to obtain business from private insurers; yet, competition cannot be effective when there are no close clinical substitutes. In the past few years, the rate of introduction of first-in-class drugs has been low; if this continues, the prohibition on negotiation may be only a minor problem. However, if the prior rate of introduction resumes, the government may find itself with unacceptable expenditure levels.
Item Description:0046-9580
10.5034/inquiryjrnl_44.1.15