Health care reform and the pharmaceutical industry: crucial decisions are expected

For the past 30 years, the largest growing segment of the United States economy is the health care industry. The United States is in a transitional period as American citizens born between 1946 and 1964, the Baby Boomer generation, reach retirement age. In recent years, pharmaceutical costs have been rising faster than the inflation rate, leaving the American public to ask many questions. A major area of interest to policymakers regarding the health care reform agenda is patient spending on pharmaceutical items. Government-funded programs such as Medicare and Medicaid are facing the possibility of running out of funds and require substantive reform. Pharmaceuticals are not covered under the basic Medicare programs. As a result, senior citizens are forced to cover their prescription expenses out of pocket or purchase supplemental insurance plans. This extra expense is leaving many senior citizens across the country struggling to support their ongoing medical needs.