Exactly where is this free market that everyone is so proud of?

Is the price of a drug the same all over the world?

Are there not incentives (tax breaks) for drug makers to do R&D?

Are there not laws that keep the consumer from seeking out drugs from a cheaper source?

Is it FAIR that the American consumer is expected to pay a higher price for a drug because the drug manufacturer has to give discounts in other countries?

There seems to be a knee jerk reaction on this board that if one argues that there is an inherent lack of economic logic in something that one is arguing for government involvement.

There is no doubt, that the government is a large reason for alot of the problems in healthcare today...as there is no doubt that there are problems within the healthcare delivery system today that are inherent in the structure of the system itself.

Lets not forget, the new medicare prescription drug program does not allow medicare to negioate prices that it will pay for drugs...this is something that Bush and the drug companies demanded.

Thus, even those players in the market that everyone is so willing to protect by arguing for free markets do not want free markets.

TAO