I’m reading through Louise Slaughter’s report (PDF) on the record-setting period of corruption we find ourselves in, specifically through the Medicare portion at the moment, and running through the list of denied amendments to the bill. If ever there was a damning case for corruption, this list should suffice:

1. An amendment by Rep Brown of Ohio requiring the Medicare subcontractors to abide by the same regulations as every other government subcontractor.
2. A revision of the reimportation clauses that would require the Secretary (presumably of HHS?) to provide specific reasons for each denial in writing.
3. A mandated report on the effects of foreign markets on our own drug costs
4. A provision to allow seniors to pay a monthly copay option in exchange for free generic drugs, assuming they suffer one or more of five major ailments that commonly affect seniors. NOTE: this would have created *the only* generic drug option in the plan.

The list continues, but you get my point. Not only did Big Phara write this bill, but they did so in a way that would ensure the highest possible profit for them, right down to striking the generic drugs market right out of the loop. Don’t miss the big picture, here: by forcing the generic market out of the seniors rackett, they effectively strangle the generic drugs industry, thus paving the way for increased profit margins in perpetuity.