Judge Blocks Rule Requiring Drug Companies to List Prices in TV Ads

Like you say, fixing this is important, and it seems crazy that secret pricing is the universal norm in medicine. I'm pleased to agree with you on that, but I'm ecstatic to see you say it exceeds executive authority. It's rare to find anyone anymore who will see a law that should be made, and still remember that it should only be done by the correct people, i.e. Congress.

Looks like "freedom of speech" angle. Even congress will not be able to pass this law.

They usually don't know what the cost would be.

I once went to a walk-in clinic once for a cold, and they told me upfront the cost for the visit with co-pay (~$40 or something). Several months later, I hear from their collections office.

Apparently, as they told it, my insurance company declined to pay their part of the co-pay because they insurance company claimed it wasn't part of routine care. Absurd.

Anyways, the clinic's response was to retroactively increase the price they charged me. But because I paid in cash, they couldn't just take it from me. So they spammed an old mail address from when I was in college (poor student with the current PO box), and then called me on the phone. And the amount was only $10; far less than their staff time.

Zero part of that seems square with common law. When is it possible to change a price months after a transaction? None of this makes sense, but if they have beef with the insurer that's on them.

So if the hospital tells you the cost up front, and they're wrong, they stand to lose money if they can't swing the negotiations with the HMOs.

The US system just makes no sense.

My PCP, chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist, and acupuncturist all refuse to tell me how much treatment will be despite knowing exactly what they will do and how much it costs. Unless I don't use insurance, then here you go, these are our prices. But with insurance? We don't know the prices. It's fucking absurd. It's not even a market. It's just a way for them to fuck people over. Because everyone wants to live and be healthy. But seriously, you think congress will solve this shit? They are the ones benefiting from all the bribes... sorry, I mean donations I forgot I was in the US for a second. That's rich.

Do drug companies' arguments that they are entitled to freedom of speech hold any water?

I know people like to overemphasize the effects of Citizens United, etc

But I am curious if they could solely win on a speech argument. If so, one would think all sorts of advertising regulations would be easily overturned.

Or may be, well, not everything current administration is trying to do is bad.

There is probably more you'd agree on, but only the inflammatory stuff really makes the news. I see that the news did actually cover Trump going into North Korea last week, but it sure was buried -- did you see that it happened?

Also regarding drug prices, Trump is trying to do a sort of most-favored-nation status for the prices, and/or allow reimporting. That too will be fought in court I'm sure, even if it goes through congress. If it survives court challenges, then Americans no longer pay more for drugs than the rest of the world.

The way the article reads seems to suggest that this is like the bare minimum the administration can do to appear to be doing something about health care costs. The judge is probably right though. America's congress is broken and so healthcare in this country :( Hopefully they help with something soon..

I did think the exact same thing you did though when I read the headline.

Just the usual stuff over federal/corporate overreach paid for by big pharma; the party of either the judge or the president is kinda irrelevant in this context. I'm surprised some higher up didn't lean on the judge to throw out the case however; the optics of this whole thing are horrendous for the Democrats considering all the noise Trump makes over the deep state and whatever

This makes the most sense for one of procedures and follow ups within weeks timeframe.

With employers providing healthcare, out of pocket price often is affordable, and nobody would bother that over a few thousands of dollars difference. However, companies end up paying the price (most often large employers self insure), and that is hidden from the employee.

It almost makes sense if companies lobbied for something like this for once....

Corporations are just groups of people, do individuals lose the right of free speech when they assemble?

To be fair, we pay 500+ people to do nothing but write laws. Maybe they should do it?