Janet Reilly: Smarter Than I Thought!
Janet Reilly, who is running for California Assembly in my district (Nob Hill/Marina of San Francisco), is not just any mindless liberal. She has openly supported SB840, the socialized medicine Bill that has many, many, many, many, many problems. However, those farther to the left of her claim that she is not a friend of health care because she owns lots of stock in pharmaceuticals.
While I certainly do not support candidate Reilly, this is a ridiculously absurd accusation, to claim that the pharmaceutical industry is somehow an opponent of health care. As someone who works in the medical field, I know that many of my patients simply would not survive if Pfizer, Merck, King, GSK, etc…did not exist. If there were not medicines to treat Cancer, AIDS, pain, depression, and thousands of other diseases, the health care industry would be in a much weaker state. However, liberals still seem to define them as the enemy.
What sets Janet Reilly apart is her realization that pharmaceuticals stand to make billions should California adopt socialized medicine under SB840. I base this on common sense, as well as my own experience.
Common sense tells me that as soon as there is no financial obstacle — even just a small co-pay — to rationalize choice when it comes to medications, there use will dramatically increase. Those who could no longer afford medications will now have no barrier to taking as many as they need. When you aren’t paying for the medications, there is no reason not to try the newest, best, and most expensive medications. And generics! Forget about it! Why take generics when you can get brand name for free?
In worker’s compensation cases - the majority of the patients I encounter at work - there is no reason to be cost-efficient when determining care; every diagnostic test is ordered, and patients never refuse medications or durable goods (braces, etc..). There is no reason to refuse these, because they have absolutely downside to doing so. There is zero out of pocket expense to deter taking unnecessary medications. Expand this to cover every citizen (and, according to Leland Yee, every illegal immigrant) in California, which SB840 would do, and revenue for pharmaceuticals will greatly skyrocket.
While liberals who support SB840 extol it’s virtue, they lack the foresight to realize that it will benefit those “evil” pharmaceutical companies that they unjustly vilify. Janet Reilly understands this, and stands to profit if it passes.
Cross Posted at The Gentle Cricket
Technorati Tags: California, Elections, Janet Reilly, SB840, Socialized Medicine
June 2nd, 2006 at 8:43 am
This is exactly why pharmaceutical companies and doctors push are in favor socialized medicine in principle . After all, there is no incentive to lower prices when your biggest customer is spending someone else’s money.
Of course, it goes without saying that a socialized medicine scheme opposed by pharmaceutical companies is a very bad idea.