Who loves you? Wal-Mart or the US government?

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Prescription Drug prices are making retirement impossibly difficult for many senior citizens.

Prescription Drug prices are making raising a family impossibly difficult for many parents.

So who loves you? Wal-Mart and Target or your elected Unites States government?

Yesterday, first Wal-Mart and then Target announced that they would cut generic Prescription Drug prices to under $5 for a monthly supply. Is this love by Wal-Mart and Target? Before you answer, let me give you some information.

#1. It is not costing Wal-Mart and Target anything to do this.

#2. The US government could have done it with Medicare's Rx Drug program, but specifically made it illegal to do so.

Let me explain #1 first.

I have a Prescription Drug plan as part of my retirement package from x-employer. I get Prescription Drugs at about 75% or more below retail in 3 month supplies by mail-order. It costs my x-employer just about nothing to give this benefit. WHY? Because, they buy Prescription Drug doses by the million or billion. They negotiate with each pharmaceutical company for reduced prices and pass them onto us. So when I order a three month supply of Celebrex, I am getting it for about the cost my x-employer paid for it.

Now about #2.

When a Medicare recipient gets a drug through the Medicare Rx drug plan and he pays 60% of the retail cost, he is paying 2 and half times as much as I would for the same Rx and you (and me), the tax-payers are paying the other 40%. The federal government screwed both the Medicare recipients and the tax-payers by putting a clause into the Medicare Rx law that states that the government can not negotiate Rx prices with the pharmaceutical companies. Now the government wants to reduce the already paltry Medicare Rx benefits because they are costing the government too much money.

The reason Canada has inexpensive Rx drugs is the same reason that my Rx plan has low prices. Negotiate to purchase in quantity and resell at prices based on that low purchase price. It is also the same reason that Wal-Mart and Target are able to offer these low prices.

So I guess there are only two conclusions to be reached.

Either Wal-Mart and Target love you more than your government does

or

Wal-Mart and Target are smarter than your government.

My conclusion:

The government cares more about big business than about you.

[Sunta 5]

If I have those particular two choices of who loves me, I think it's time to move to Canada.

[wavydaby 1]

Target loves me. Wal mart just wants me to buy junk when I am in there getting my meds.

I wonder what this is going to do to company prescription plans

[Mert 0]

I'm just glad Walmart is doing this. Oh, of course the pharmaceutical companies have the politicians in their pockets and cannot get rich enough. I'm just happy for a price break on my generic prozac !!

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Target loves me. Wal mart just wants me to buy junk when I am in there getting my meds.

I wonder what this is going to do to company prescription plans

If you have a Rx plan, you are not eligible for these prices according to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart estimated that the #1 beneficiary of this plan will be Wal-Mart employees who can not afford to buy Wal-Mart's medical insurance.

[KariK 0]

If you have a Rx plan, you are not eligible for these prices according to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart estimated that the #1 beneficiary of this plan will be Wal-Mart employees who can not afford to buy Wal-Mart's medical insurance.

How would Walmart know wether or not you have a Rx plan? Unless you tell them of course? Just curious.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

How would Walmart know wether or not you have a Rx plan? Unless you tell them of course? Just curious.

I would assume because you buy other prescriptions there or maybe the computers for all insurance companies are networked. Whenever I go into a Wal-Mart to fill a Rx, even if I have never been to that particular Wal-Mart, they know who I am.

Privacy died a few years ago and I bet you missed the funeral.

[Pinkylee 7]

I'm headed to Walmart for rx.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

I'm headed to Walmart for rx.

I believe the plan is only in effect in the Tampa Florida area. It will be spread to other areas if it is met with success.

[green 6]

Prescription drug prices are cheaper up here in Canada. Surely prices could be cut south of the border where the population base is much higher.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Prescription drug prices are cheaper up here in Canada. Surely prices could be cut south of the border where the population base is much higher.

They could lower the prices, but the politicians put a clause into the Medicare Rx plan making it illegal to negotiate prices with the drug manufactures.

The VA can negotiate prices with the drug manufactures, but not Medicare.

Sounds like the politicians (in power) love the Pharmaceutical companies more than they love the Citizens of the USA.

I know the politicians love the Pharmaceutical companys' campaign contributions and lobbyists' gifts more than they love the Citizens of the USA.

[green 6]

There seems to be a marriage between the government and big biz. This is too bad for the middle class, isn't it?

[Carlene 12]

The term "middle class" is fast becoming an anachronism. With each decade it seems that we are becoming more and more a country of "haves" and "have nots", with no middle ground. I hate that. I hate that an income once considered "comfortable" is now close to poverty level, leaving many families with no choice but to send mom out to help earn a living. The stay-at-home mom is rare these days and that's too bad.

[Elisabethsew 50]

I believe Price Club (Cosco) offers low Rx costs as well.

[Alexandra 55]

Having a private drug plans that has copays for prescriptions wouldn't prevent someone from benefiting from this low pricing. If a drug costs less than the copay, the amount charged by the store is the actual amount of the drug. So if I have a $5 copay for generic (now called "tier 1) drugs but the retailer is only charging $4, I pay $4.

It doesn't matter that that the "main" beneficiary of this plan is going to be Wal-Mart employees; they are just a microcosm of many, many underinsured people in the country. If this goes widespread I think it will lower drug costs for everyone. Good move!