Plan B Forum

Members of US Congress are in an unusual position as they demand an explanation for Mylan's 400 per cent price hike for the EpiPen and focus attention squarely on its CEO: Heather Bresch.

If politicians follow the usual script, Bresch could get called up to Capitol Hill next month to explain her company's justification for raising the price on the life-saving allergy shot. But that could be awkward, since she's the daughter of Democratic senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

While Bresch's family ties may mute the ire of some politicians, others are already asking the company about taxpayers having to foot the bill for these price increases - particularly after Bresch and the company successfully pushed legislation to encourage use of the EpiPen in schools nationwide.

Mylan is the latest drugmaker to provoke congressional ire for steep price hikes. Martin Shkreli and executives from the company he used to lead, Turing Pharmaceuticals, and executives from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International were called before congressional committees earlier this year to explain why they bought the rights to older drugs that lacked competition and raised the prices.

The Mylan controversy fits a similar pattern. Mylan has increased the price of its EpiPen from about $US57 a shot when it took over sales of the product in 2007 to more than $US600 for two auto-injectors. But the company's EpiPen is a more mainstream drug used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions from bee stings, food allergies or other triggers, which could give the issue a larger constituency.

Mylan declined to comment when asked to explain the price hike or Bresch's role in promoting legislation. Manchin's office also didn't respond to requests for comment.

The number of people paying with insurance is in part responsible for the price hikes. When it is your own money you scream louder when prices are jacked up and are more likely to do something about it.

Big RR wrote:

The number of people paying with insurance is in part responsible for the price hikes. When it is your own money you scream louder when prices are jacked up and are more likely to do something about it.

Certainly, but so what? What can someone do other than refuse to buy it. And with the insurer's preferred formularies and tiered copays, the insured consumer is often paying a good part of the price hikes, yet can do little about it.

Indeed, in the closest we have to a single payer system, the government does not even flex its muscle to negotiate with companies for the price of drugs.

Mylan is the latest drugmaker to provoke congressional ire for steep price hikes. Martin Shkreli and executives from the company he used to lead, Turing Pharmaceuticals, and executives from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International were called before congressional committees earlier this year to explain why they bought the rights to older drugs that lacked competition and raised the prices.

If this is a problem we have created and amplified by the system of paying for HC we have chosen then we can choose a different one

Sue U wrote: If anyone were actually serious about this issue, they'd be using these examples as Exhibit A in demonstrating why capitalism is simply not an appropriate system for delivering healthcare.

we seem to have adopted the worst elements from each of those to put together our conglomeration.

Big RR wrote:rubato--

If this is a problem we have created and amplified by the system of paying for HC we have chosen then we can choose a different one

But we won't; we should have had a single payer option with Obamacare, but we don't--and even if we did, it likely would be prohibited from negotiating prices with drug companies like every other western country does (and ones that have decent access to all drugs and robust economies, BTW). people pay it because they have no choice, not because of insurance. Saying, forget it, Id rather die is not an option.

Sue--and therein lies the weakness of Obamacare; it's window dressing, not a solution. Oh, it helps a bit, but major changes are needed to achieve a workable system.

But we won't;

we should have had a single payer option with Obamacare, but we don't-

it likely would be prohibited from negotiating prices with drug companies

Sue--and therein lies the weakness of Obamacare; it's window dressing, not a solution.

oldr_n_wsr wrote:

we seem to have adopted the worst elements from each of those to put together our conglomeration.

And here I thought ObamaCare was working so well.

oldr_n_wsr wrote:

we seem to have adopted the worst elements from each of those to put together our conglomeration.

And here I thought ObamaCare was working so well.

kmccune wrote:... If it wasnt for my hypertension ,I would give serious consideration to going Doctorless... ( homeopathic does work to a certain extent)

Gob wrote:

Members of US Congress are in an unusual position as they demand an explanation for Mylan's 400 per cent price hike for the EpiPen and focus attention squarely on its CEO: Heather Bresch.

If politicians follow the usual script, Bresch could get called up to Capitol Hill next month to explain her company's justification for raising the price on the life-saving allergy shot. But that could be awkward, since she's the daughter of Democratic senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

While Bresch's family ties may mute the ire of some politicians, others are already asking the company about taxpayers having to foot the bill for these price increases - particularly after Bresch and the company successfully pushed legislation to encourage use of the EpiPen in schools nationwide.

Mylan is the latest drugmaker to provoke congressional ire for steep price hikes. Martin Shkreli and executives from the company he used to lead, Turing Pharmaceuticals, and executives from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International were called before congressional committees earlier this year to explain why they bought the rights to older drugs that lacked competition and raised the prices.

The Mylan controversy fits a similar pattern. Mylan has increased the price of its EpiPen from about $US57 a shot when it took over sales of the product in 2007 to more than $US600 for two auto-injectors. But the company's EpiPen is a more mainstream drug used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions from bee stings, food allergies or other triggers, which could give the issue a larger constituency.

Mylan declined to comment when asked to explain the price hike or Bresch's role in promoting legislation. Manchin's office also didn't respond to requests for comment.