Health is wealth. The wealth of a nation is a reflection of the health and well-being of her people. A nation with the heart of strength interested in economic development, national growth, educational improvement and political stability takes the health of her people with utmost caution and dexterity. It is therefore the imperative of noble governments to federal government negotiation of prices for the Medicare beneficiaries is a well come development in the field of provision of health care services in the country. It is a responsive government that attends to the matter of cost for Medicare.
There has heated argument on the Iron-Triangle of Health comprising cost, accessibility and quality of health care services. There are a number of government agencies working assiduously at maintaining the standard of the triangle within public and private health institutions across the Country. One of such efforts is directed at negotiating drug prices for beneficiaries of health care services so that they are not unnecessary exploited. One needs to realize also that the negotiation is not an isolated case. It is keenly linked to the components of the iron-triangle of health, and they are indeed inseparable.
Government’s efforts would synergize these elements of health care. It is needful to realize that Congress’ move to facilitate drug price negotiation is imperative and would be beneficial to a lot of people. It is in the interest of the larger members of the population exposed to the risk of exploitation by exorbitant health care workers and their firms. Those who have vehemently opposed the idea have latent interests that are not progressive; such people have asserted that it is not part of the business of government to negotiate drug prices for the acclaimed ‘intelligent’ public who can decide on their own.
It has become obvious however that such people are interested in their pockets; they belong to the camp of the rich who want to get richer and make the poor poorer. With this move, other the drug prices would have a standard to work with. It would also create healthy competition within the industry, as services become the mainstay of judging the performance of the health care provider. This also increases the purchasing power of public. The productive outcome is improved standard of living for all, and not just the rich.
Really whoever this idea is not good should be asked: what is the business of government aside the health of the people, and all that pertains to it? Isn’t the role of government to stabilize the economy through her array of agencies, when the need arises?
REFERENCES
www. nrlc. org/news/2005/NRL01/DrugQA0105 ww. law. fsu. edu/gpc2007/ CongResServCRSRL33782_MedicarePrice%20Negotiation. pdf Managed Care (Kongstvedt, PR, Essentials of Managed Health Care, Fifth Edition, Aspen Publications).