Dems Want Prescriptions Sold Across Int. Borders But Won’t Allow Health Plans Across State Lines

Recently Senator Byron Dorgan and some of his fellow Democrats have been pushing to allow Americans to buy prescription drugs re-imported from Canada. See, Canadian prescription drug prices are controlled by the government so they’re cheaper than American drug prices. In theory, allowing Canadian drugs to be re-imported to America (where most of the originated) would allow Americans to save money. In practice, it would probably be the end of Canadian price controls as the drug companies, denied revenues from American markets, would simply refuse to continue exporting to Canada at those price-controls.
After all, it costs roughly $1 billion to bring a new drug to market. That money doesn’t grow on trees, and it certainly doesn’t come from price-controlled markets like Canada’s.
But supposing Democrats get their way and allow us to buy prescription drugs from Canada. Does that mean Americans can start buying insurance plans across state lines? After all, that’s something the Democrats currently refuse to allow. But it’s something that would give Americans and/or their employers more choices when it comes to purchasing health policies and would no doubt reduce prices through national competition.
Something tells me that the liberals are only selectively in favor of that kind of free trade.