Article preview from The RPM Report March 31, 2009
Industry has much to fear about some elements of health reform, like drug importation and price negotiation under Medicare Part D. But the risks of inaction are even greater. Pharmaceutical companies need to ensure that they have a place at the table-and come with a detailed plan on how health reform should work. Read on...
Industry has much to fear about some elements of health reform, like drug importation and price negotiation under Medicare Part D. But the risks of inaction are even greater. Pharmaceutical companies need to ensure that they have a place at the table—and come with a detailed plan on how health reform should work.
Kenneth C. Frazier is Merck's EVP and president of Global Human Health. He made his remarks during a keynote presentation at FDC-Windhover's FDA/CMS Summit.
This is a very exciting time in Washington for everyone but perhaps especially for those of us who care deeply about the future of the U.S. health care system and, in particular, its ability to provide access to health care for all.
In their 2005 book, Uninsured in America, authors Susan Starr Sered and Rashika Fernandopulle get beyond the statistics of the uninsured to paint vivid pictures about what it means to be uninsured in the United States today. One story they tell is of a couple in Decatur, Illinois—Timothy and Denise. Timothy and Denise both worked their entire lives, yet, like so many people today, have no savings and do not own their own home. Timothy had the bad luck of injuring his knee on his job, tearing some cartilage and then getting an infection.
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