"Donald Trump likes Obamacare clauses 'very much'"

[JoeH]

I particularly noticed the bit about cutting the red tape at the FDA. That concerns me as it is one of the protections we have against drug manufacturers cutting corners producing the drugs we use.

I get to hear about some of the attempted corner cutting from a sibling who works there. An example that comes to mind is one company filing to change the formulation of the inert filler and binding materials used in making a commonly used drug. That application was denied, at least one of the proposed "inert" ingredients was well known to not be inert in the presence of another component of the drug. Apparently the company had not even bothered to check with their own pharmacological chemists first, someone in manufacturing just wanted to use a cheaper material.

[Pam]

JoeH wrote:
I particularly noticed the bit about cutting the red tape at the FDA. That concerns me as it is one of the protections we have against drug manufacturers cutting corners producing the drugs we use.

I get to hear about some of the attempted corner cutting from a sibling who works there. An example that comes to mind is one company filing to change the formulation of the inert filler and binding materials used in making a commonly used drug. That application was denied, at least one of the proposed "inert" ingredients was well known to not be inert in the presence of another component of the drug. Apparently the company had not even bothered to check with their own pharmacological chemists first, someone in manufacturing just wanted to use a cheaper material.

The inert ingredient problem is present in the EPA as well. Companies do not have to test their active ingredient in combination with the inert ingredients. Nor do they have to test for what their active or active plus inert chemicals degrade into. I would hope the FDA has far better testing rules for products meant for human consumption.

[GGD]

Interesting article on how the GOP is struggling to figure out how to actually repeal and replace the ACA. It was a lot easier when they knew it was guaranteed to be vetoed, now there are details and real ramifications.

Sort of a "be careful what you wish for".

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/go...ift-231272

[Speedy]

swampy wrote:
Were you not listening? He has long said that there are some parts of ACA that are good. I guess you hated him so much that you never really listen or read his thought on the issues.

Not a problem for swampy, she has single-payer (Medicare). She got hers, to hell with those that don't.

[Acer]

The Republicans always stepped carefully around the popular provisions of eliminating the pre-existing condition clause and the insure-you-kids-to-26. That's why they added "AND REPLACE" language long before Trump used the phrase.

Obama, wearing the big boy pants in Washington, knew he had to put the unpopular things (mandates and subsidies) in so the insurance companies would be able to make the money work.

The repubs will keep the good parts, eliminate the bad parts, and pretend to pay for it with magic like expanded HSAs and sell-over-state-lines that won't actually help, and put the rest on the credit card.

[Dennis S]

Whatever thy do will be due to political expediency instead of health concerns.

[Lux Interior]

Acer wrote:
put the rest on the credit card.

When a republican in in office, deficits don't matter.

[Ca Bob]

Speedy wrote:

Not a problem for swampy, she has single-payer (Medicare). She got hers, to hell with those that don't.

Uh, not so fast. Paul Ryan continues to support abolishing Medicare. Theoretically it would be replaced by a voucher system by which former Medicare recipients could buy health insurance in the private market. Considering the incredibly low overhead that the Medicare system has, this is a prescription for adding twenty percent overhead, all entirely unnecessary, to the cost of senior health coverage. It would also involve seniors having to deal with an irritating bureaucracy, like everybody else who is not on medicare.

Of course if Ryan actually tried to get this through congress, everyone who voted for it would be voted out at the next election.

[Acer]

Nobody wants to insure old people. They use too many services. How dumb can the Republicans be? Oh, wait, I'm afraid I know the answer to that.

[$tevie]

This was a good thread. I learned some stuff from it. Thanks, folks.