Medicare drug prices

One of the first priorities of the Democrats once they regain control of Congress is to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. The Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage bill passed with an express prohibition on Medicare negotiating prices with drug manufacturers. What this created was an implicit subsidy of pharmaceutical companies. There was no reason for the plan to do this except to provide a hand out to the pharmaceutical companies. The idea of using bargaining power to lower drug prices is not new or limited to government agencies; Walmart announced it was negotiating $4 drug prices based on it's size as a purchaser. The Veterans Administration and many European governments and the Canadian government also negotiate significantly lower prices with pharmaceutical companies.

If the Democrats accomplish this legislation, which 77% of Americans support, it would give them a good boost in their negotiating power with the President for other progressive policies and stifle the talking heads and Republican operatives who relentlessly assert that Democrats have no ideas, just criticisms of Republican policies. It would also help the U.S. fiscal situation by reducing the costs associated with the Medicare prescription drug program.