Though it's not necessarily surprising that "big pharma" is on the receiving end of criticism, what's notable is the intensity of poll respondents' ire, especially about their alleged greed.

Says Alan Zacher, "the pharmaceutical companies are funding legislation which supports them. While physicians are taking huge cuts in income the drug companies are laughing all the way to the bank on Medicare Part D."


Or as Dr. Gleb Koslov views it, "the bigger problem is the fight for the almighty dollar. Pharmaceutical greed, which generates dependency, which generates income, which escalates insurance costs as patients scramble to find ways to cover their prescriptions." If the whole industry would just get their egos and pockets out of the way, Dr. Koslov says, we could deliver a great healthcare system and doctors could still make a living.

Lillian Welleke of Mobile Instruments adds, "The drug companies charge out of this world prices for their drugs so that people who have spent their lives working and should be able to relax in retirement have to make a choice between health and food. The people of this country deserve so much more."

As for health insurance companies, Dr. Michael Gorback opined, "The single most destructive force in American health care is the insurance industry. They siphon billions of health care dollars that should be spent on patient care into the pockets of their executives. They have robbed physicians of their ability to treat patients and placed it in the hands of anonymous star chambers that determine policy, and these policies are then administered by high school graduates."

Pretty strong words but consistent with what survey respondents seemed to feel about insurance companies.

Showing precious little to the insurance companies, Lynne Love adds, "The biggest problem in healthcare is quite clearly the greediness of insurance companies. They hire oceans of clerks who get as much money as they can from patients/clients and pay as little as they can to physicians." She continued, "It is quite amazing how much distraction there is from this basic truth. You are an insurance company and you have the time and resources to put out a survey. Are you really going to use it to try to help accomplish something good? Or are you just another insurance company trying to polish the smoke and mirrors that keeps you rolling in the dough while patients and doctors suffer?"

Tom Polston of Specialty Medical Sales added, "As a nation we must decide if healthcare is a right that everyone is entitled to. As long as the Pharmaceuticals and Managed Care (insurance companies) lobby our legislators we will never get there."

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