Sociopathic Santorum Tells Sick Kid Not To Complain About $1 Million Drug Costs

[canada-man]

http://thinkprogress.org/health/201...rug-costs-because-people-pay-900-for-an-ipad/



While campaigning yesterday in Woodland Park, Colorado, GOP contender Rick Santorum told a sick child and his mother that they shouldn’t complain about the exorbitant cost of his medication because some people spend $900 on iPads. He appeared unmoved by the plight of the family, staunchly defending drug companies’ right to charge whatever they want.

The candidate also said that the parent and child unjustly felt entitled to get life-saving care at an affordable rate:

GOP contender Rick Santorum had a heated exchange with a mother and her sick young son Wednesday, arguing that drug companies were entitled to charge whatever the market demanded for life-saving therapies.[...]

“People have no problem paying $900 for an iPad,” Santorum said, “but paying $900 for a drug they have a problem with — it keeps you alive. Why? Because you’ve been conditioned to think health care is something you can get without having to pay for it.”

The mother said the boy was on the drug Abilify, used to treat schizophrenia, and that, on paper, its costs would exceed $1 million each year.

Santorum said drugs take years to develop and cost millions of dollars to produce, and manufacturers need to turn a profit or they would stop developing new drugs.

Santorum proceeded to lecture the mother and suggest she should be grateful to the drug companies for saving her son’s life. “He’s alive today because drug companies provide care,” Santorum said. “And if they didn’t think they could make money providing that drug, that drug wouldn’t be here.” He also claimed it would “freeze innovation” if pharmaceutical companies were required to offer their drugs at a reasonable price.

Although Santorum has been a vocal opponent of health care reform, his callous reaction is somewhat surprising given that he himself is the father of a daughter with a rare genetic disorder. But if the Colorado mother thought Santorum might be sympathetic to families in similar situations who happen to be less wealthy, she was sadly mistaken.

 

[cye]

But he continues to burden the health care system with his genetically defective,resource consuming , unnecessary spawn.

 

[blackrock13]

Sociopath? Ffs CM. He's many things, but a sociopath?

 

[wetnose]

http://spreadingsantorum.com/

 

[Aardvark154]

Although I do not support Senator Santorum's candidacy, CNN gives a slightly different take:

In what his campaign billed as a "major speech on health care," Rick Santorum found himself Wednesday defending a profit-driven health care system to a woman who said her son requires expensive medication to stay alive.

The former Pennsylvania senator also detailed the deficiencies he sees in his rivals' health insurance records.

One of the feistiest exchanges came in response to a young child's question on the cost of medical care in America. Urged on by his mother, a boy asked what Santorum would do to lower medical costs, but before he could finish his question, the candidate said such things should be left up to the market.

"We can make medicine cheaper by using markets," Santorum said. "That's how you make medicine cheaper is that you have free people going out there and competing against each other and competition drives up quality and drives down costs."

As Santorum was outlining his small-government, free-market approach to rising health care costs, another woman chimed in that she can no longer afford medication she desperately needs because the cost has become so exorbitant.

"The only reason new drugs are developed is because Americans actually do pay for the cost of that research." Using a somewhat confusing metaphor, Santorum tried to explain the need for a profit motive by comparing health care consumption to technology consumption.

"People have no problem going out and buying an iPad for $900," he said. "But paying $900 for a drug, they have a problem with it. It keeps you alive. Why? Because you have been conditioned to thinking that health care is something that you should get and not have to pay for."

Additionally, should I mention that this young man might well not have his medication paid for by the British National Health Service purely due to its cost.

Further, C-M do you believe that Senator Santorum will still be in the race in late March?

 

[Aardvark154]

http://spreadingsantorum.com/

You actually mean "Savage."

 

[cye]

What I find appalling is that Santorum and his wife continued to have children when they knew that the probability of those children being born with genetic defects that would require extremely expensive medical care for which he did not have to pay his fair share.

Not only was he employed by the health care industry after losing in the last election he is the beneficiary of a health care plan that will never be available to at least 90% of Americans. He already had six children when he and his wife continued to try and have children, knowing those children were at tremendous risk of having serious medical issues.

This selfish consumption of resources is one of the reasons that health care consumes more of GDP in America than any other country.The health care system has finite resources. Those of us who willingly expose that system to unnecessary diversion of resources are behaving in a selfish manner that is not sustainable. Americans and Canadians need to quit smoking, exercise, and have a diet with some basis in sound nutrition.

 

[Cobster]

He's one fucked up individual. He should be put on meds himself.

 

[kupall]

http://thinkprogress.org/health/201...rug-costs-because-people-pay-900-for-an-ipad/






The mother said the boy was on the drug Abilify, used to treat schizophrenia, and that, on paper, its costs would exceed $1 million each year.


The cost of abilify is nowhere near 1 million each year, even without health insurance. The drug is expensive, that's for sure, but not a million bucks. Funny how all the usual suspects made comments without checking the drug. FYI the brand name is abilify is about 15 to 20 bucks each pill, once a day. But I do agree that medications in the USA are overpriced due to the fact that generics aren't allowed to compete til the patent runs out.

 

[Cobster]

Funny how the usual suspects (like santorum and those who would defend such dicks) still say shit like this or defend it somehow.
Even if it was not a million, of half, or a quarter, still a dickish thing to say to a woman and her sick kid.

 

[ogibowt]

Although I do not support Senator Santorum's candidacy, CNN gives a slightly different take:



Additionally, should I mention that this young man might well not have his medication paid for by the British National Health Service purely due to its cost.

Further, C-M do you believe that Senator Santorum will still be in the race in late March?[/QUOTE

late march?..i guess we can be thankful for that...and then he can go back to being a paid shill for the health care industry......why a great country like the USA, can spawn vile creatures who have run, or still running for the Republican nomination for auguably the most powerful position on earth is beyond me..

 

[anon1]

I wonder if Big Pharma is a major contributor to his campaign?

 

[groggy]

Yesterday the fecal fluid guy suggested that Iran might bomb Missouri, so the US should attack.
Truly an idiot.

 

[Cobster]

Yesterday the fecal fluid guy suggested that Iran might bomb Missouri, so the US should attack.
Truly an idiot.

wtf? more scare tactics by Santorum, nice.
First Bin Laden was in bed with Saddam, now this. lol

 

[WoodPeckr]

Conservatives like Rick Sanatorium KNOW how to make their own soil their panties....:biggrin1: