How Democrats can fix drug prices

Re “On drug prices, are Democrats in a fix?” Nov. 26

No, Democrats are not in a fix. In dealing intelligently with seniors, don’t make a religion of choice. A selection of a few, but viable, choices is enough. There is a world of difference between the ability to choose one’s own doctor and select between two drugs, both nearly the same.

As I see it, Medicare could use the restricted-list mechanism, as the Department of Veterans Affairs does, to successfully negotiate a lower price for seniors’ drugs. The best program would be a government plan that competes with private health insurers. This would lower drug costs for all consumers and roll back the Republican-led privatization of government functions. For-profit health insurers want privatized healthcare as long as the profits keep rising, but most Americans would benefit more from a government plan.

GERI A.

MELLGREN-KERWIN

Burbank

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The article raises several good points about drug pricing, but it fails to mention that drug manufacturers routinely offer below-wholesale discounts to hospitals, clinics and big chain pharmacies that buy directly from wholesalers. Those that cannot get such discounts, such as small pharmacies, end up absorbing the loss when being reimbursed by insurance companies, or simply do not accept certain insurance plans.

Our pharmaceutical industry has been running amok, and perhaps something more than simply allowing Medicare to negotiate discounts would be in order. A good start might be to ban all consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals, and the multiple billions saved each year could be channeled into across-the-board price reductions, which would reduce the need for these negotiated discounts, many of which are still more than our Canadian neighbors are paying.

BURT HERMEY

Costa Mesa