How can you explain the American GOP voting against limiting the price of insulin?

[Greenbeard]

What else was in the democrat bill, that's what you have to look at. I doubt the bill was rejected because of he insulin price cut.

Ah the classic "there must be something else in there they don't like!" There isn't. Nor were they shy about saying they simply don't support this.

 

[Ginger Ale]

This is a small step, but at least it's a step. The Republicans are the party of NO. So I wouldn't expect anything else.

 

[Binary_Digit]

What else was in the democrat bill, that's what you have to look at. I doubt the bill was rejected because of he insulin price cut.

Good question, since this kind of thing happens a lot. Here's the bill:

Text - H.R.6833 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Affordable Insulin Now Act

Text for H.R.6833 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Affordable Insulin Now Act

www.congress.gov

I can't see any specific rider junk in there, can you?

 

[KingLeo]

Easy to explain.
Big pharma pays those GOP legislators a lot of 'campaign' money to protect their fortunes.

 

[Patriotic Voter]

If the devil is Martin Shkreli

The devil is Donald Trump and you know it.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

I never claimed it wasn't a serious issue, but you keep moving the goalposts.

Just because it's a serious issue doesn't mean there's only one solution to it, or that we have to throw our principles out the window to solve it.

I haven't moved the goal posts at all. The only post is that lowering the cost of insulin is a moral good and the GOP doesn't seem to be doing anything to solve it. If you believe lowering the cost of insulin is a moral good any criticism of inaction levied against Democrats should be equally levied at Republicans.

 

[uptower]

I guess they must have done a poll and found there aren't enough diabetic Republicans. Or found they can stiff them on meds as long as they keep scaring them with gay stuff.

 

[Noodlegawd]

I haven't moved the goal posts at all. The only post is that lowering the cost of insulin is a moral good and the GOP doesn't seem to be doing anything to solve it. If you believe lowering the cost of insulin is a moral good any criticism of inaction levied against Democrats should be equally levied at Republicans.

I never said that I thought lowering the price of insulin is necessarily a moral good, especially when the proposed means of doing that is unilaterally taking money from other people to do so. That's YOUR premise, and you're dodging my point.

If Democrats truly believe that insulin suppliers are price gouging, that's a problem that's tailor-made to be solved by the free market, i.e., by reducing regulations rather than increasing them.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

If Democrats truly believe that insulin suppliers are price gouging, that's a problem that's tailor-made to be solved by the free market, i.e., by reducing regulations rather than increasing them.

And what if the 'free market' decides selling at 5,000% profit margins is actually pretty nice and they don't want to lower prices?

 

[Noodlegawd]

And what if the 'free market' decides selling at 5,000% profit margins is actually pretty nice and they don't want to lower prices?

Ugh, here we go 'round again.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

Ugh, here we go 'round again.

I mean it is entirely possible we are talking past each other a bit. Bound to happen in a text based format unfortunately.

 

[Gateman_Wen]

How can you explain the American GOP voting against limiting the price of insulin?​

 

[Noodlegawd]

I mean it is entirely possible we are talking past each other a bit. Bound to happen in a text based format unfortunately.

Fair enough. I'm happy to continue discussing the point with you if you're genuinely interested in the discussion. But I don't really want to repeat myself, so if you're interested please go back and read my posts and let me know if you have any questions.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

How can you explain the American GOP voting against limiting the price of insulin?​

Because fewer of them are diabetic (or have diabetic kids) than own shares in pharmaceutical companies (or receive big campaign contributions from pharmaceutical companies)?

 

[independentusa]

How can you explain the American GOP voting against limiting the price of insulin?​

They reap huge campaign funds form the Pharm companies.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

One of the first things Biden did was to rescind this.

Trump slashes cost of insulin for Medicare enrollees to $35 a month

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Tuesday will announce a prescription plan drastically reducing the cost of insulin for American seniors who rely on Medicare. The deal struck with the nation&#…

nypost.com

Possibly you might benefit from reading

"VERIFY: Did President Biden just raise the cost of insulin by freezing a Trump administration rule that would have made insulin less expensive?"
(from WHTR)​

and then get back to us regarding what happened 60 days after the scare headline?

 

[Nomad4Ever]

I'm happy to continue discussing the point with you if you're genuinely interested in the discussion. But I don't really want to repeat myself, so if you're interested please go back and read my posts and let me know if you have any questions.

Ok, to make sure we both understand each other let me summarize my understanding of your position so far.

They generally believe in a free market economy.

How can you explain all the ultra-wealthy Democrats who want to reduce the price of insulin not putting their money where their mouths are and investing their money in insulin production and then selling it at reduced prices?

Republicans are not the ones complaining about it.

So my understanding is you are saying the Democrats are the ones who care about the issue so they should be taking all these personal actions to help as well.

Isn't the theme here that Republicans are obviously evil?

I'll ask again, why are the people claiming they are so evil not investing in insulin production themselves? There's at least one perfectly good startup out there waiting for their money. They don't even need to start from scratch.

My point so far is that your argument, for lack of a better word, is silly. It only works if YOU don't think the price of insulin should be lowered.

If you do think we should work on lowering the price of insulin, you should be just as critical of Republicans if not more so. Not only are they not even proposing any solution through the government, but they aren't funding insulin research or other free market solutions either.

Additionally, it feels weird to call the Democrats hypocritical for not doing something they don't agree with. They obviously don't think the issue is funding, they think these businesses should be regulated or the monopolies should be broken up. So they are trying to solve the issue through the tools they think are best.

 

[holbritter]

How can you explain the American GOP voting against limiting the price of insulin?​

Is this a general question?

 

[holbritter]

Most House Republicans vote against lowering the price of insulin

The US consists of 15 percent of the global insulin market but accounts for nearly half of the pharmaceutical industry’s revenue

www.independent.co.uk

paywall

 

[Atreus21]

How can you explain the American GOP voting against limiting the price of insulin?​

Them knowing the effect of price ceilings because they've seen the track record of price controls.

 

[Spunkylama]

Most of House Republicans in US vote against capping price of insulin

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill popularly known as the Insulin Price Bill that limits insulin costs to $35 per month. These benefits will be offered from 2023 to people with insurance policy or medicare coverage. The US shares 15% of the global insulin market and accounts for...

economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[Luce]

Them knowing the effect of price ceilings because they've seen the track record of price controls.

Or they just want to maximize human suffering.

One or the other.

 

[Patriotic Voter]

I guess they must have done a poll and found there aren't enough diabetic Republicans. Or found they can stiff them on meds as long as they keep scaring them with gay stuff.

What do you mean by "stiff" them on meds?

Republicans want everyone who does not agree with them to die. There is no other possible explanation for their votes against lowering the price of insulin.

 

[BirdinHand]

Can someone explain to me how this works?

How does the government tell a private business (insurance company) that the maximum it can charge for insulin is $35 or 25%? I don't understand how Trump thought he would do it via EO and I don't understand how legislation can do it.

I'm not against this, I have a real issue with pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers in general and the nonsense they pull with keeping drugs branded, etc. and with insurance companies in general...but I am struggling to understand how the government can say "Oh, hey...yeah, the maximum you can charge is $35"

 

[Cardinal]

Can someone explain to me how this works?

How does the government tell a private business (insurance company) that the maximum it can charge for insulin is $35 or 25%? I don't understand how Trump thought he would do it via EO and I don't understand how legislation can do it.

I'm not against this, I have a real issue with pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers in general and the nonsense they pull with keeping drugs branded, etc. and with insurance companies in general...but I am struggling to understand how the government can say "Oh, hey...yeah, the maximum you can charge is $35"

For as long as I’ve been aware, government has regulated pricing. It’s not that there isn’t precedent for regulating prices of commodities and services, it’s that Republicans chose not to do it for insulin.