In a recent opinion editorial by Christopher Arps for RedState, the author questions whether the Biden administration is using regulatory measures to edge the United States closer to socialized medicine.
Arps suggests that the administration is targeting pro-consumer healthcare groups, specifically pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), to pave the way for government control of drug pricing.
On September 20, the Biden Federal Trade Commission (FTC), led by Lina Khan, filed a complaint against PBMs, accusing them of artificially inflating insulin prices. PBMs, Arps explains, are hired by government agencies and private sector employers to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. They are so effective that over 275 million Americans are now part of health plans administered by PBMs.
Arps argues that the FTC's complaint is unfounded, citing The Wall Street Journal's findings that average insulin out-of-pocket costs fell from $31.52 to $21.19 between 2018 and 2022. Furthermore, nearly 80% of insulin prescriptions cost less than $35 a month out of pocket in 2022. "So, in no way are PBMs inflating consumer costs," Arps writes.
The author suggests that the Biden administration's aggressive stance against PBMs is a strategic move to enable government control of drug pricing, a step towards socialized medicine. He points out that the Biden FTC is attempting to sue PBMs, while politicians like Senator Bernie Sanders are trying to legislate against them.
Arps also criticizes Kentucky Republican James Comer for supporting the FTC's findings against PBMs. He notes that the FTC's sole Republican commissioner, Melissa Holyoak, opposed the release of the FTC's interim staff report on the matter, arguing that it was not fact-based.
Arps concludes by warning against the dangers of socialized medicine, stating that the American people have seen the destruction it has caused in other countries. He expresses hope that the judicial system and Republicans in Congress will prevent the Biden administration from forcing this "dangerous dose of socialism" on the American public.
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