HEALTH CARE

Norm Coleman is too close to big drug companies. He has taken nearly $350,000 from pharmaceutical special interests. At the same time, he consistently voted against efforts to lower drug costs for seniors and against allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies

Coleman has Taken Combined $1,724,212 from Health Care, Insurance and Big Drug Company Special Interests.
Meanwhile, the Bush-Coleman approach to “solve” our healthcare problems have left Minnesotans paying 60 percent more for healthcare in 2005 than in 2000 — $10,846 vs. $6,563.96 for an average family premium. [Center for Responsive Politics]

Coleman Took 7 th Largest Amount of Contributions from Pharmaceutical and Health Product Industry. Coleman took $164,268 from drug company interests, which is the 7th most of all Senators during the 2008 election cycle. In fact, Coleman has taken more money from the pharmaceutical and health-products industries than any U.S. senator from Minnesota, past or present, and any U.S. representative from Minnesota, past or present. [Center for Responsive Politics, Accessed 9/16/08]

Coleman Votes with the Health Care Industry

Coleman Voted for Medicare Prescription Drug Bill that Heavily Favored Drug Companies. In 2003, Coleman voted for a Medicare reform plan that included perks for private companies that increased the cost of Medicare and made it illegal for Medicare to bargain with drug companies over the price of prescriptions, which was expected to add an additional $139 billion to corporate profits. [HR1, Vote 459, 11/25/03, Adopted 54-44 (R42-9; D11-35); New York Times, 2/3/04; The Hill, 11/19/03]

After his support of the Medicare reform plan, Coleman has Flip-Flopped on Negotiating Lower Prescription Drug Prices- voting three times against negotiating for better prices and then has the 2008 elections loomed, changed his stance.

Coleman acknowledged that he would risk political attacks during 2008 reelection run for his opposition to prescription drug price negotiation and voted to allow a vote on legislation to allow the government to negotiate with drug companies. The measure failed because Coleman’s Republican colleagues opposed it.

Which Is It? Coleman said He Advocated Universal Health Care Coverage….But Voted Against Health Coverage for All Americans. During the 2002 Senate race, the Star Tribune reported: “Coleman said that he supported a system of associated health care plans promoted by some in Congress and that he advocates universal health care coverage. He cautioned, though, that the system needs to be vigilant in figuring out what is essential for coverage.” Yet, just two years later Coleman voted against an amendment to increase spending by $60 billion over five years to provide health insurance coverage to people without insurance. The spending would have been offset by revenue increases. [S Con Res 95, Vote #47, 3/11/04, Rejected 43-53 (R:0-51, D:42-2); Congressional Quarterly, 3/11/04]

Opposed Cheaper Drug Importation from Canada…then supported it…then against it…and then for it.

July 2002:Said Allowing Importation Of Prescription Drugs “Would Be A Mistake”. [Associated Press, 7/11/02]
October 2002: Said He Supported Reimportation.[St. Cloud Times, 10/10/02]
June 2003: Voted For Drug Importation Amendment That Critics Said Would Not Allow The Program To Take Effect. [S 1, Vote #232, 6/20/03, Adopted 62-28 [R 21-25; D 40-3]
July 2003: Coleman Signed Letter Against Drug Importation [Minneapolis Star Tribune, 6/26/03]
December 2003: Opposed Legislation By Minnesota GOP Congressman Legalizing Drug Importation. [St. Paul Pioneer Press, 12/18/03]
June 2004: Co-Sponsored Legislation To Allow Importation Of Prescription Drugs.[S 2493, Co-Sponsored 6/2/03; S 184, Co-Sponsored 1/26/05; Minneapolis Star Tribune, 1/27/05, 6/17/04]
June 2006: Voted Against Allowing Drug Imports From Canada. [HR 5441, Vote #191, 7/11/06, Adopted 68-32 (R 23-32; D 44-0); Minneapolis Star Tribune, 6/26/06]
May 2007 – Voted To Derail Drug Importation Effort. (S 1082, Vote #151, 5/7/07, Adopted 49-40 (R 33-11; D 15-28); CQ Today, 5/8/07)