“[S]ince the inception of the national Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), over $3 billion has been paid to families claiming their child is suffering from a debilitating disability or died as a direct result of a vaccine. The United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision on February 22, 2011 (Bruesewitz v. Wyeth) proved what many of us knew would happen once the federal government took medical liability away from vaccine manufacturers. Although the VICP was to compensate families who suffered a vaccine reaction through no fault on the part of the manufacturers, if there was proven negligence in the design of the vaccine or subsequent batches of vaccine produced were contaminated due to manufacturer negligence, families were told they could sue manufacturers civilly. This was all reversed when SCOTUS ruled in favor of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, essentially giving a green light to vaccine manufacturers to produce vaccines intended to maim or sterilize recipients with no legal recourse for victims.

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is a no-fault alternative to the traditional legal system for resolving vaccine injury petitions.

It was created in the 1980s, after lawsuits against vaccine companies and health care providers threatened to cause vaccine shortages and reduce U.S. vaccination rates, which could have caused a resurgence of vaccine preventable diseases.

On February 22, 2011, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of vaccine manufacturers in the case of Bruesewitz v. Wyeth, forcing all vaccine injury claims to go through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) even for vaccine design defects. As Attorney Mary Holland so eloquently stated at a press conference opposing the SCOTUS ruling:

"[The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program] doesn't work, ... it's broken, and it's not remotely a court. There are no rules of evidence or procedure, or discovery, or a jury of one's peers. It's a program that is stacked against families...because vaccine injuries make vaccines look bad. Children in the U.S. are conscripted into a war against infectious disease but without real consent and without adequate information. With this Supreme Court decision, many more children are likely to be injured and left dead on the battlefield. The government and doctors assert that vaccines are safe and effective, but the Supreme Court acknowledges that they are indeed, unavoidably unsafe. With this decision, the Supreme Court grants almost blanket immunity from lawsuits to an entire industry for compulsory products. If vaccines are really so safe and effective, why does industry need so much protection? And why are children left so defenseless by law with no access to any court?”

• Government agencies and lawmakers are increasingly committed to industry collaborations, demonstrated by the proposed 21st Century Cures Act and the collaboration roadmap produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator
• Emboldened health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers are consolidating to protect their drug margins, enabling aggressive contracting and drug rebates
• New entrants are filling evidence gaps by integrating consumer technology into the delivery of care
• Consumer expectations and patient advocacy groups are pushing for further inclusion in the drug development and review process
Source: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150709/Partnerships-between-healthcare-insurers-and-pharmaceutical-companies-promote-real-world-value.aspx

After a reader sent us a link to a PDF file of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Physician Incentive Program available online, Wellness & Equality learned that insurance companies pay pediatricians massive bonuses based on the percentage of children who are fully vaccinated by age 2.