My thoughts around item 1 is that there may need to be some intervention there. I don't know how it would take place, but lets say our taxes needed to go up 0.5% to cover it(though indications sound like it will be mostly funded without that need), then our insurance costs should go down that percentage. There would obviously be huge savings to the insurance industry(and job losses) so there is no reason they should continue to charge for something they don't provide.
For 2, ya, you should listen to the show when you have a chance, it goes into that. But the short of it is that drug companies in other countries enter into these agreements and haven't had an issue like you describe, so I don't know why it would be different for us.
On another note, I also think we should put a lot more money into government funded drug research in this country, primarily through Universities that could look at stuff that drug companies don't want to fund becuase there is no money in it for them, but would benefit society by reducing health care costs.
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