Saturday, March 03, 2018

McCaskill: Missouri taxpayers footing the bill for drug companies to advertise their products, then raise their prices

(From Sen. Claire McCaskill)

We're one of the only nations in the world that allows both advertising of prescription drugs to consumers and for those ads to be subsidized by taxpayers.

I went to Congress to fight for Missouri families, and that’s why I’m going after billions in taxpayer-funded subsidies for pharmaceutical advertising.

That’s right! Tax deductions for those drug ads you see on television.

Under current law, drugmakers can fully deduct the cost of television, online, magazine, and radio ads from their taxes—all while continuing to hike drug prices on Missouri families. Too many drug companies are spending more on sales and marketing than on research and development. And Missourians are tired of paying for it.

In 2015 alone, drug companies in the U.S. spent more than $6 billion on fully tax-deductible advertising expenses.

Last year, I heard from thousands of Missourians at 50 public town halls who were worried about:
the rising costs of prescriptions
their kid’s public schools
the safety of local roads and bridges
and the security of working families’ retirement and pensions

And frankly, I think all those problems are more deserving of Missourians’ hard-earned tax dollars, than making sure that wildly profitable drug companies get an even bigger rebate after tax season.
Let's stop this nonsense,

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Once upon a time, it was illegal for drug companies to advertise their products. Have you ever listened to the potential side effects, or tried to read the fine print? Love the part that says, "Don't use if you're allergic to named med or any of its ingredients." How would you know? If you don't have confidence in your doctor knowing what's best to cure what ails you, and you need to "Ask your doctor about (fill in name of med)" you probably need a different physician! Yep, another loop-hole for big pharma!

Anonymous said...

Drug company ads are the reason God created the mute button on TV remotes. Whoever listens to them willingly really does need to see a doctor, and not for whatever condition is being described.

Anonymous said...

When Claire and other politicians stop taking Big Pharma money, then I might be concerned as to what she has to say on this topic.

Anonymous said...

HER vote for Obamacare raised costs more than anything in healthcare

Anonymous said...

9:26 - True that! But the fact remains, dollars are going to ads, not research and ultimately paid by the consumers. Pitiful. Pretty simple to see who has political influence.