NPR interviewed PhRMA CEO and former congressman Billy Tauzin this morning. Mr. Tauzin told listeners that drugs are just 8 percent of the country's health care expenditures. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Research, prescription drugs account for almost 10 percent ($244.8 billion out of $2509.9 billion) of spending. It would have been appropriate to correct Mr. Tauzin when he understated expenditures by 20 percent.
--Dean Baker
I’m writing to you today with a sense of urgency that I haven’t felt since I began my journalism career. As executive editor of The American Prospect, I’ve witnessed firsthand how independent journalism serves as a crucial bulwark against the erosion of our democratic institutions. Today, that role is more vital than ever. Can you step up today and show your support?
The winds of authoritarianism are blowing stronger. We’re seeing alarming signs of a coordinated effort to silence critical voices and undermine the very foundations that support progressive causes. As Bob Kuttner presciently wrote in our August 2024 issue, a weaponized IRS could attack the very foundations of the progressive movement. We need readers to step up and help us dig in for the long haul.
We’re falling behind in our spring fundraising campaign, and with so much at stake we can’t afford to come up short. If you value fearless, independent journalism that holds the powerful accountable and defends democracy, now is the time to step up. The American Prospect depends on reader support to stay in the fight. Pitch in today and help us close the gap. Please consider making a donation today.
–David Dayen, Executive Editor
