Compassionate Drug Companies

Per the "EpiPen" outrage stirring in the news recently, I had to chuckle at the company's (Mylan) efforts to "remedy" the situation: "the company would not cut the price of the injectors, but would increase the maximum it would offer to families in its copay assistance program from $100 to $300." This gesture is not compassion or meaningful. It's a loophole drug companies now use to continue to receive the same jacked-up payment from insurance companies. In other words, drug company revenues are not affected and it keeps all of our insurance premiums high. Drug companies may create an illusion by offering "assistance programs," but those are written off in other ways that benefit the company in terms of their bottom line (net earnings- read: profit). I know. I used brand Lipitor for years and when my insurance companies tried to bring costs under control by promoting generics, Pfizer started an "assistance" program ... which had virtually nothing to do with customers who could no longer afford their products. What it did was ensure Pfizer continued to receive the same whole-cost payment from insurance companies - who would still pay for named brand ... but expect the insured to pay the difference between brand/generic, which Pfizer would now (mostly) cover with "assistance". It's another loophole the elite in Congress have created to keep the profits of the insanely rich protected, so they can continue to fund that political elite, helping them keep their jobs. It's win-win for the rich and elite. For the common folk, not so much.