campaign finance and Gras
Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2003 4:04 am Post subject: Johnson&Johnson 2nd biggest contributor to Sen Grassley
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Medicare payment change would help Amgen<
><
> Separate Senate and House Medicare bills go next week to conference committee<
> to be reconciled. Analysts say they expect the Senate measure to prevail on this<
> issue. The House plan would allow Medicare to make payment decisions such as<
> the one on Aranesp as long as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration established<
> standards for determining whether two medicines are "functionally equivalent.''<
><
> Johnson & Johnson spokesman Mark Wolfe said the Senate bill wouldn't change<
> Medicare's policy on Aranesp and declined to comment further. Amgen officials<
> didn't have an immediate response.<
><
> Medicare paid about $8.5 billion last year for medicines administered by doctors.<
> As part of the overhaul legislation, Congress is trying to expand the program's<
> coverage to include prescription drugs patients can take themselves.<
><
> Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, chief architect of the<
> Senate's Medicare bill, signed at least two letters that questioned Medicare's<
> decision on Aranesp and sought meetings with agency staff to discuss the matter.<
><
> Campaign finance records show Amgen became the second-biggest contributor to<
> Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in the last election cycle. Verizon Communications<
> Inc. was No. 1. A Grassley spokeswoman has said that the donations didn't sway<
> his decision.<
><
> About 10 percent of Aranesp's revenue comes from U.S. hospital outpatient<
> reimbursements.
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Amgen
Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2003 4:09 am Post subject: Grassley who use to chair the Senate on Aging
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I couldnt understand why the Senate Hearings were nothing but a horse and pony show. I couldnt understand how the Standards of Care were never done.<
>I could never uderstand how Grassley was moved to the chair of the Senate Finance Committe(which is one the most powerful positions in the Senate) after our Senate Hearings.<
><
>I am disappointed, then to hear that Sen Frist sliced cats,and his inlaws made millions in the Columbia Health and Phycor, which our attorney was key in
inging suit against this group for the stock holders and he won.<
><
>It appears that we need to be active in getting some of these clowns out of office.
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Pollyanna
Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 22
Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2003 10:39 am Post subject: DOQI
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Now if my memory serves me right, didn't Amgen fund the DOQI Guidelines that all these companies swear by, even with the disclaimer printed on the front of each booklet? I think so. In fact these sompanies seem to think that these are "the standards of care" so to speak and they nearly pop their buttons proclaiming how they far exceed these standards. Meanwhile patients are dying left and right, being dumped and we have techs who are just off the street with no medical background or clue to what the cause and effects of their manipulation of the dialysis machines can and often do to patients. <
>Sure would like to get Grassley and Frist on a dialysis machine with some of the RN's & techs I have worked with. They sure would change their tunes fast!
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patient advocate
Joined: 07 Apr 2003
Posts: 4
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2003 5:33 pm Post subject: DOQI
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Isn't it amazing how companies convince themselves that they are providing such wonderful care for the almighty dollar? Then think that they have written the "Gold Standard" for patient care in the field of dialysis. I couldn't agree with you more, there is no way possible that a person can learn to operate such an intricate piece of machinery such as an artificial kidney, and realize ALL the pathophysiological things that can go wrong with a patient while they are on dialysis. Grassley and Frist need to have a big dose of their own medicine, and be hooked up a dialysis machine with an RN who doesn't know her behind from a fencepost, and a tech who was flipping burgers 6 weeks ago, and let something go wrong while they are hooked up to the machine. I still do not understand how people who took an oath to heal people with no regard for their own health can let the dollar rule their lives. If I were a doctor, I would rather live in a smaller house and be able to sleep at night knowing that I had done the best job possible. I guess that it just doesn't matter anymore. But someday, the tables will be turned on them.
