Obamacare Passed ‘For the Children’; Children Hardest Hit
**Written by Doug Powers
Yet another item to add to the Obamacare “unintended consequences” laundry list:
In an unintended consequence of the new health care law, drug companies have begun notifying children’s hospitals around the country that they no longer qualify for large discounts on drugs used to treat rare medical conditions.
As a result, prices are going up for these specialized “orphan drugs,” some of which are also used to treat more common conditions.
Over the last 18 years, Congress has required drug manufacturers to provide discounts to a variety of health care providers, including community health centers, AIDS clinics and hospitals that care for large numbers of low-income people.
Several years ago, Congress broadened the program to include children’s hospitals. But this year Congress, in revising the drug discount program as part of the new health care law, blocked these hospitals from continuing to receive price cuts on orphan drugs intended for treatment of diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.
[...]
In a typical letter to a children’s hospital, one company, Genentech, said that, because of the new law, it would not offer discounts on certain cancer medicines like Avastin, Herceptin, Rituxan and Tarceva, or on Activase, which is used to dissolve blood clots in heart attack and stroke patients.Another drug maker, Allergan, cited the new law as a reason for denying discounts on Botox [now we know Pelosi didn't read the bill - DP], which, besides removing wrinkles from the face, is used to reduce spasticity in patients with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders.
Joshua D. Greenberg, vice president of Children’s Hospital Boston, said that loss of the discounts “jeopardizes our ability to care for some of the sickest children with the most complex health care needs.”
Notice that “didn’t have time to read the bill because we were so anxious to get a better grip on the health care industry” has now become “honest mistake in drafting”:
A House Democrat who worked on the health care law said the situation had resulted from “an honest mistake in drafting,” and he added, “No one intended to take away any of the drug discounts that children’s hospitals already had.”
When you’re driven blindly by power and control and don’t know a thing about the industry you’re taking over, everything is going to be an “unintended consequence.” But I think that’s intentional.
I’ll bet at least one Congressman would have caught the “mistake” if it was in Playboy.
(h/t Ed Morrissey)
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Gee Willikers Wally! I ddn’t know that would happen!!!
Yet another item to add to the Obamacare “unintended consequences”
Anyone that voted for this monstrosity of a KILLER BILL has no heart, no concern, no caring beyond themselves. That sounds like a politician, especially one of the all caring for the weak in our society. Looks like it fits a liberal to a T.
How could anyone with any compassion at all vote for a bill to harm the most defenseless in our society.
Its easy when you have no principles, morals, or ethics and absolute power is your strongest desire and goal. There is no-one that is exempt from being sacrificed to that end.
Welcome to Obowmaocare “Death Panels” by proxy!
Kids are just props. When bho had that kid in the photo opt during the signing of the bill, bho didn’t interact with him. I was expecting bho to give him one of the pens which signed the legislation, but he didn’t. bho is not capable of caring for anyone. The bill was written by the same people who advocate zero population growth. Do you really think they care about children. That’s why abortion is covered and children are not.
The claims of “unintended consequences” is utter and complete BS. I promise this was part of the underlying motivation for the bill in the first place.
Take this case as an example. Bill drives drug companies to raise prices on children’s hospitals. Prices rise – outrage ensues, permitting demagoguery on the “rapacious pricing policies of the drug companies”. More legistlation ensues, forcing price controls. Government effectively takes over drug companies and also forces the hospitals into the public option, which will be the only way to get the low prices. Now the government is in control of the entire system.
Multiply this example by all the other “unintended consequences” (i.e companies unable to afford to provide health care, driving people into a public option) with the same end result. Mission accomplished.
The same people who would rather kill them in the womb.
This is even more reason for complete REPEAL of this monstrosity. More and more “unintended consequences” are going to surface, you can be sure.
Is this like the “unexpected” rise in the unemployment rate?
It’s very interesting that when things don’t go the way the socialists want (and they can’t blame it on someone else), negative effects are always “unintended” or “unexpected.”
They’ll just be given a waiver! See, no consequences.
Yup, we had to pass it to really “know” what’s in it. With each passing day, we learn more of what’s in it, and our suspicions are only confirmed:
It’s compost!
We knew this all along.
And the only thing this compost is good for is growing bigger government bureaucracy and debt.
In other news, an apparatchik told Pravda, “the Gulags were an honest mistake in drafting – we wanted everyone to enjoy goulash.”
The Marxists have had plenty of practice around the world, and nothing they try makes the world a better place…
…”why aren’t those kids going to Canada and England for the world’s best medicine?”
It does for those on top. Never heard of Lenin, Stalin, Kruchev, Mao, Castro, Chavez, et. al. complain about their life styles and standard of living.
Obowmao (channelling Capt. Hook) “Ahh, the mewling spawn, how I despise them!”
soooo, do they have AIDS because they’re low income, or do they have low income because they have AIDS?
‘Hey! I’m depraved on account I was deprived!’
–West Side Story
Very well put, Doug.
Wait until the AIDS activists read the bill and find out they’re not going to get the medicine either. How much more of their pain will Obama feel?
He’s certainly not feeling any of ours.
This is going to come up again,
and again,
and again, …
The Dems just shouldn’t be allowed to make law.
Riff: Boy, am I a victim of disappointment in you.
Gee, Officer Krupke!
Uh, these are the same people who have no problem with partial birth abortion.