The AP is running this story, tonight:
. . . .Merck & Co. spent $3.2 million lobbying the federal government on health care reform, drug pricing and coverage for its products in the first quarter, according to a recent FEC disclosure form.
That was slightly more than double the $1.5 million the Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based company spent on lobbying in the first quarter of 2009.
The company lobbied Congress on issues related to the U.S. health care overhaul that was enacted in late March, including on increasing coverage of uninsured people, maintaining a private-sector health care system and promoting research to compare the effectiveness of medical treatments. . . .[New Merck] lobbied to oppose or limit reimportation of drugs made here from foreign countries where prices are lower, something that the pharmaceutical industry has long opposed.
It also lobbied against increasing rebates that drugmakers pay to the government under the Medicaid program -- something the overhaul did require. . . .
Americans sorely need lower priced medicines. Come rescue us, Canada (even while Merck spends $12 million a year to prevent it)!
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