Resignation of top Pharma lobbyist reveals deep corruption of health care reform process

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: Big Pharma, lobbyists, health news

(NaturalNews) The President and CEO of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Billy Tauzin, recently announced that he will be resigning from the organization on June 30, 2010. The organization, which represents top drug companies like Pfizer and Merck, has been one of the primary backers of the Democrats' health care reform legislation, making Tauzin's resignation a significant setback.

Considered by many as a vital catalyst for getting the legislation passed, Tauzin guided PhRMA into a deal with the Obama Administration and top Senate Democrats to pay $80 billion over 10 years in the form of price cuts and other concessions in exchange for the 30 million or more new customers who would be added to the government insurance plan.

The agreement would have garnered significant new profits for the $315 billion drug industry but with Tauzin's leadership coming to a close, the entire scheme could fall apart.

"PhRMA played a key role and without Billy Tauzin, who is trusted by both parties, there … it doesn't help the cause for getting the reform through," lamented lobbyist James Thurber, head of the Center for Congressional and Presidential studies at American University.

In 2009, PhRMA spent over $26 million lobbying for the deal, but according to some insiders, there were allegedly issues between him and other executives in the company that led to his resignation. Others claim that he railroaded the company's efforts by squandering money and upset members.

The bigger story here is the fact that supposed health care "reform" is being steered by the pharmaceutical industry which has been salivating at the prospect of gaining millions of new customers. Since such "reform" will be entirely controlled by the government, which is controlled by industry lobbyists, the new health care system would be run entirely by drug companies!

The current system is broken and in need of true reform, but what drug companies have been concocting behind the scenes in cooperation with the Obama Administration would only make things worse by eliminating all freedom of choice in healthcare.

Big Pharma already exerts significant control in the current system which is dominated by corrupt insurance giants but under the government option, the drug industry would have full control over dictating what kinds of treatment Americans could receive. Pharmaceutical drugs would most certainly be the method of choice.

True reform would unhinge the revolving door between government and Big Pharma, dismantle the corrupt insurance system, and give freedom of choice back to individuals where it belongs.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61B4TR...