The Single-Payer Flu

For those of you still looking for a good reason to avoid the southward drip of the single-payer system, check out today's article on future flu-shot technologes in the Denver Post. The money paragraphs:

But flu shots are historically unprofitable for manufacturers, and converting to the new technology would cost $200 million to $300 million, said Dr. Richard Duke of Denver-based GlobeImmune, a company that develops several vaccines, but not one for the flu.

"Every time you do something new you have to go through the whole FDA (approval) process, and that's expensive. Who's going to pay for it?" he said. "The real problem is there is no motivation to anyone to do this, because in the end the government" doesn't adequately reimburse manufacturers.

Flu vaccine already operates on the single-payer system. The government, on the recommendation of the CDC, orders a certain number of doses and agrees to pay a certain cost. And kids are dying because there's no money to implement new technologies, which are expensive because of government regulation. Remember this the next time some Democrat tries to sell you a new health insurance system. All together now: "price controls create shortages; subsidies create surpluses; extended subsidies create inflation."

Oh, and Mrs. DeGette? The next time you're looking for someone to blame for this problem, open up your compact and look in the mirror.