CVS Health quietly donated a staggering amount to a dark money group advocating against health care

[634-5789]

According to The Intercept, CVS Health which also owns the health insurance company Aetna along with countless pharmacies and walk-in clinics nationwide, donated a total of $5 million to Partnership for America's Health Care Future (PAHCF), an advocacy group in opposition of Medicare for All.

The massive donation is considered the largest financial contribution on record although PAHCF is classified as a 501(c)(4) organization and not required to publicly disclose information about its donors. Reports about CVS Health's donation come months after PAHCF embarked on a political sweep of voters in Democratic primary states as they urged voters to push back against the promotion of Medicare for All.


https://www.alternet.org/2021/04/cvs-health-quietly-donated-a-staggering-amount-to-a-dark-money-group-advocating-against-health-care-access/

[treestar]

1. Wouldn't their financial interests

be the opposite? A bigger market for them if more people have access to health care. People can afford the pharmaceuticals more with Medicare for all.

[634-5789]

2. One would think that would be a great strategy, but, apparently NOT.

[EYESORE 9001]

3. Medicare can negotiate lower prices

which is anathema to pill peddlers like CVS.

[BradBo]

22. That's what I was thinking.

There has got to be some greedy execs that have some evil intent to further their wealth with our deficits and suffering.

[fescuerescue]

23. Medicare reimbursement is much much less than other types of reimbursement

[Lovie777]

4. Actually they are looking at the greedy aspect . . .

more sick more cha ching . .

[jimfields33]

17. I'm still shocked they stopped selling cigarettes

That could be a good money maker for drugs later on.

[multigraincracker]

5. I love my small independent drug store.

Supper service and they know me by name.

[mgardener]

6. I use CVS

They know me by name too!

[wnylib]

9. Same here. They also give me discounts

on meds not covered by my plan.

[barbtries]

16. so do i

and my prescriptions are $3.00 or $6.00. Plus it's super convenient because it's inside a store where my son works. this is a drag to learn.

[George II]

18. I got my two prescriptions at CVS a couple of weeks ago - 3 months for $5.25 TOTAL!

[SergeStorms]

7. CVS sucks.

Of all the 'chain' drugstores, CVS is definitely the worst, in my opinion. Their prices are outrageous, and their past cooperation with pharmaceutical companies pushing opioids on everyone, will forever piss me off.

[Auggie]

8. Agree

When my old pharmacy went out of business my prescriptions were automatically transferred over to CVS. Costs doubled, plus the store was understaffed and basically a pigsty. I asked them to transfer my meds to yet another pharmacy and they never did. Hate this company.

[USALiberal]

11. Everything I've dealt with them they have been great for me and my family. Nt

[wnylib]

15. Within walking distance of my home,

there is a shopping center with 3 drug stores - Walgren's, Rite Aid, and CVS. I have tried all of them for prescription meds and CVS has the best prices for my meds. Rite Aid's prices are highest, followed closely by Walgren's. For non prescription meds, Walgren's is better, but CVS often has coupons and their house brand generics are cheaper. Rite Aid has better prices on cosmetics, but CVS has a better selection. The CVS store is clean and well kept. So is Walgren's. Rite Aid, not so much. The CVS clerks and pharmacist are friendlier than the other two.

So in my community, I prefer CVS.

[Hortensis]

10. The ACA, which has worked magnificently, even if not able to be completed yet,

works so well because our people consulted every industry and interest for what they needed to make it work well. Our party warriors did a very good job in creating Obamacare, also sometimes fondly called Pelosicare by insiders. Passing it cost us 63 seats in congress, making their efforts selfless also, even for some heroic, but they believed in it.

I was shocked at the headline and then disgusted at its deception. ALTERNET.ORG. Should have seen that first.

The healthcare Americans have are the ACA and workplace insurance. CVS did not donate against "healthcare."

MfA is NOT the ACA or any kind of healthcare. It's a political slogan that certain interests, most of them on the right, but some dissident left, are still trying to use to rebuild support for destroying the ACA, and with it belief in the Democratic Party.

Those who believe destruction of the ACA is necessary to get a healthcare system that'd give them far more for far less -- as both the right and left populist candidates for president promised them -- are their product.

Well, actually we will eventually get much more for less, and building on the ACA is how we'll do it.

[area51]

13. The PAHCF

will fight just as hard against a public option, which Biden said he's for, as they will against Medicare for All. I encourage you to read more about Medicare for All, as it most assuredly is not pie in the sky or just a political slogan. The website Physicians for a National Health Plan is one good place to start. Though the ACA has some very good things, it was never intended to make sure that there will never be Americans without health insurance coverage. And the ACA deductibles are obscene, as well as the monthly prices. Rest assured, that as long as our govt. keeps throwing money to soften the cost of the monthly fees, the insurance companies will have good reason to keep raising their prices. There are informational links in my sig line, including this one on how we can finance M4A. I fear there are too many people who don't care that there are those who cannot get health insurance, don't qualify for lowered rates, and live in a state where Medicaid won't ever be expanded. I guess we're just "collateral damage".

[Hortensis]

24. Trashing and starting over from scratch -- to build a second capitalism-based,

for-profit medicine, national healthcare system at huge risk of ending with none at all is...let's say, not a good idea. We already have one.

(Btw, we also have socialized medicine in the VA system, by far the best for least, which is what we should eventually transition our national system to.)

But the biggest problem in this insanity is that RW powers are determined to eliminate all the national entitlement programs we pay into. Permanently. NO Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, ACA, etc. Besides being beyond dysfunctional, OUR attacking our national healthcare system and starting a replacement (that would take most of a decade to have fully running) would provide many new weaknesses and opportunities for legislative and legal attack.

What would voting to do what the Pubs haven't been able to, get rid of the ACA, do to the confidence of both those who have and admire the ACA and those who need a rational, competent party to stand against the right?

Before a MfA bill was even written and passed, in 2022 control of congress may have shifted to the Republicans. in 2010 passing the ACA bill cost us 63 congressional seats. We don't have 63 spare seats! Our margins of bare control are already extremely thin. Then what?

Assuming we managed to save most of it and somehow control, how much would "most" be? Which of the provisions they find most objectional would opponents have managed to kill? MfA isn't some magic bill. If they can't kill it whole, they'll take the same hatchet to it that they did the ACA.

Assuming, though, that conservatives were not able to trash the whole thing at inception (big assumption at this point), how about 2024? 2026? 2028?

We'll get there, though. And given the genius of the MfA slogan (in that it's not, and nothing like, Medicare for all, yet with that name no one cares), I actually expect that some of our expansions and additions to the ACA as we manage to get them passed will likely be labeled or characterized as "MfA."

[bucolic_frolic]

12. End corporate political contributions and distribute the wealth to shareholders

[JT45242]

14. all about the Benjamin's

If the government starts to reign in drug profiteering it will hurt their bottom line.

Had a friend who worked for CVS corporate years ago -- he said they were a pretty slimy greedy group.

Have tried to avoid them ever since.

Big insurance companies spend a lot of money on it as well. I would bet every HMO in the country spends a lot of money on PACs to keep from being regulated, punished for denying legitimate claims (because some/most people give up and they pay out less), etc.

The real problem is that the health and wellness of a nation's population should not be a for profit industry that rewards greed over keeping people physically and mentally well.

[George II]

19. Note that group is against "Medicare for All", not universal healthcare. Only about 30%....

....of Americans are in favor of "Medicare for All", even though 70%+ want universal healthcare.

[MuseRider]

20. I would dump them in a heart beat after reading this

but they are the only pharmacy in town I do not have to argue with.

I take Ritalin for narcolepsy. I have been taking it at the very same dosage for 40 years. I have tried other drugs and they are not as even for me so....this is the only pharmacy who remembers this info. Every other either will not sell brand name Ritalin or constantly fill it with the generic that gives me uneven results, even after months of dealing with that. OR they have 40 instead of 100 and cannot make up the difference because of the drug I suppose so I have to stay home and not drive.

At CVS they know my name, I know them. When I go in for my prescription they order a bottle for my next trip in and it is always there waiting for me. Never short, never generic, always there waiting for me. With this kind of drug that kind of service is absolutely needed.

They never can get a discount for this drug but everything else they go out of their way looking for a discount. I suppose pharmacies are different everywhere but here the others do not compare.

I HATE reading this but it is what it is. If I could get that anywhere else I would.

[Ron Green]

21. One risk pool is a health care system. Multiple risk pools is an investment scheme.

We have enough investment schemes in this country; we need a health care system.

Remember, the ACA was a Republican design. It’s still private dollars chasing more dollars.

[BobTheSubgenius]

25. Of course they did.

$5 isn't even a tiny bit of residue from a drop in the bucket. Even chumps would consider it chump change.