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Bob Hugin on Health Care
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Lobbied to block cheaper generic alternatives
Q: Corruption: Scandals being discussed for both candidates.Robert Hugin (R): The pharmaceutical company that Hugin led, Celgene, spent $2.8 million lobbying to block cheaper generic alternatives to a key drug. Celgene also paid $280 million to
settle claims that its drug marketing defrauded state & federal health programs.
Robert Menendez (D): Charged for allegedly doing political favors for a donor. Prosecutor dropped charges; Senate committee then "severely admonished" him.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race
, Oct 9, 2018
Repeal ObamaCare but keep preexisting conditions
Q: Support or Repeal Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as ObamaCare?Robert Hugin (R): Said Republican repeal effort would be "great for the country." Keep good aspects of ObamaCare like protecting people with preexisting conditions.
Robert Menendez
(D): Supports. Repeal would have "hiked premiums and disproportionately hurt women & the disabled."
Q: Require people to work to receive Medicaid?
Hugin: No stand found.
Menendez: No. "Some Medicaid recipients physically cannot work."
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race
, Oct 9, 2018
AdWatch: Raised drug prices in US while lowering them abroad
Senator Bob Menendez announced his second campaign commercial, attacking Hugin for raising the price of Revlimid in the U.S. while lowering it in Russia. Menendez was indicted in April 2015 on federal corruption charges; he has sought to turn the ethics
issue back on Celgene Corp. executive Bob Hugin. Celgene under Hugin paid $280 million to settle charges that it pushed drugs for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and that it submitted false claims to Medicare.
The company spent more money than ever before as it lobbied against legislation that could speed up a generic alternative to its Revlimid cancer drug.
"Bob Hugin is the guy who got rich ripping off cancer patients and defrauding Medicare, the guy who's spent millions supporting Donald Trump and right-wing candidates and causes, and is now trying to buy a Senate seat," a Menendez supporter said.
Source: NJ Advance Media AdWatch on 2018 New Jersey Senate race
, Aug 22, 2018
As CEO, paid $280M drug settlement
A whistleblower lawsuit in 2014 accusing Celgene of putting cancer patients in danger by hiding information about potentially fatal side effects of 2 Celgene anti-cancer drugs. Celgene denies it all, but the company didn't fight the accusations in
court. It settled the lawsuit for $280 million in July of 2017, while Hugin served as CEO and chairman. I asked Hugin about it Friday morning. A trial would have spooked investors, he said, leading to a drop in the company's value.
Source: Newark Star Ledger on 2018 New Jersey Senate race
, Feb 18, 2018
Will use his 20 years in healthcare to craft new reforms
"I'm going to go to Washington and I'm going to craft specific proposals to reform health care," he added. The former pharmaceutical executive has pledged to bring a sense of affordability and responsibility back.
In an op-ed this week, Hugin reflected on his nearly 20 years working in the sector and declared that the U.S. is failing to adequately address the increasing inequality of health care.
Source: CNBC's coverage of 2018 New Jersey Senate race
, Feb 14, 2018
Page last updated: May 20, 2022