Kondracke Implores Lawmakers To Address Increasing Health Costs

Lawmakers should develop comprehensive proposals to address increased health care costs in the United States rather than "taking only piecemeal whacks" at the problem, which often result in "efforts by one group in the health care industry ... to get the upper hand over another," Morton Kondracke writes in his Roll Call column. Kondracke cites as an example of a piecemeal solution a bill (S 812), which the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee plans to address this week, that would limit patent protections for pharmaceutical companies. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the measure's sponsors, say it would "hasten the arrival" of generic drugs to the market and "achieve monumental savings for seniors and families ... upwards of $71 billion over the next 10 years," Kondracke writes. On the other side, he adds, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America maintains that the legislation would reduce profits for brand-name treatments and "prevent development of new medicines to cure diseases." "Which side is right is a murky matter," Kondracke writes, adding, "There's clearly a balance needed between saving money on drugs and saving lives. What's also clear is that drug outlays are just part of a systemwide cost crisis in health care" that lawmakers should address with a multidimensional proposal. Kondracke states, "Surging health costs and insurance premiums -- and increases in the number of uninsured Americans sure to follow -- cry out for Washington politicians to begin thinking comprehensively about America's impending health care crisis." He concludes that "ideally" the issue will come to the forefront during the 2004 campaign -- "Democratic presidential contenders need to be heard on this issue soon, and they should pressure President Bush to be heard, too" (Kondracke, Roll Call, 4/22).