Pharmacies Join Obamacare Propaganda Campaign
The Hill reports this afternoon that several major pharmacies “will promote [Obamacare]…to seniors,” providing brochures about all the law’s supposed new benefits. In a conference call announcing the program, CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner refused to give a straight answer to the question about whether the pharmacies came up with the idea for the program, or the Administration proposed it – strongly suggesting that the Obama Administration proposed this idea to pharmacies as yet another propaganda effort to win support for their unpopular law.
One unanswered question remains: Will these pharmacies also educate seniors about the law’s cuts to Medicare Advantage – which will cut enrollment in Medicare Advantage in half and reduce plan choices by two-thirds? Or does the Administration’s call for seniors to be able to “make informed healthcare decisions” only apply to the information the Administration wants seniors to see?
It’s perhaps not surprising that pharmacies would look to advertise Big Pharma’s “rock-solid deal” struck behind closed doors with President Obama – after all, pharmacies have the same financial incentives to sell more brand-name prescriptions that Big Pharma companies do. However, the more than 17 million seniors participating in Medicare Part D who are facing higher premiums thanks to this “rock-solid deal” may not be so happy.