Hey, did anyone notice how easily and completely our House of Representatives bent over for the pharmaceutical industry? The House voted 128-22 to repeal the gift ban, which banned pharma companies giving gifts to doctors — which predictably, leads to more prescriptions and higher costs. The measure was sneakily, sleazily stolen into the House budget; doubtless many reps who voted for the budget as a whole would oppose that individual measure.
Well, the AARP has named names on those who said they would vote against repeal, and then didn’t:
AARP Outs Lawmakers Who Broke Pledge On Gift Ban | CommonHealth.
They are:
Paul Adams (R-Andover, 17th Essex District)
Richard Bastien (R-Gardner, 2nd Worcester)
Paul Brodeur (D-Melrose, 32nd Middlesex)
Edward Coppinger (D-Boston, 10th Suffolk)
Gloria Fox (D-Roxbury, 7th Suffolk)
Anne Gobi (D-Spencer, 5th Worcester)
Steven Levy (R-Marlborough, 4th Middlesex)
John Mahoney (D-Worcester, 13th Worcester)
Paul Mark (D-Hancock, 2nd Berkshire)
Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland, 7th Middlesex District)
Paul Schmid (D-Westport, 8th Bristol District)
Ellen Story (D-Amherst, 3rd Hampshire District)
Benjamin Swan (D-Springfield, 11th Hampden District)
Cleon Turner (D-Dennis, 1st Barnstable District)
I’m sure that many of them will say, “oh gosh, well, we’ll just get another bite at that apple”. Yeah right. Thanks for increasing health care costs, folks. Good work. Check is in the mail.
House phone # is 617-722-2000.
Quote from the story:
“Bradley said doctors have told him that the law limits their ability to learn about new treatments and that companies feel at a disadvantage in Massachusetts.”
Is he saying that doctors learn about new treatments at parties in bars hosted by pharmaceutical companies. Really?
Healthcare for All’s blog post debunking the restaurant industry’s myths about the gift ban.
Full disclosure: I now work at HCFA as one of their new community organizers. (On HCFA’s blog you can also follow co-organizer Celia and me around the state.)
Why doesn’t the Globe (or our dear diarist) link to the actual roll call vote. Just who are these 22 windmill-tilter-aters?
As indicated in the House Journal, it was roll call #43, to strike section 2 of chapter 111N.
The Legislature’s website had a pretty rocky relaunch last year, and a few of us, including me, were happy to list its many shortcomings.
During the House budget debate a week or so ago, the website posted more information more quickly than it ever had before. Good job, somebody.