In a sick way, I’m enjoying the debate over price controls for prescription drugs under Medicare Part D. Of course, I don’t want Congress to dry up the stream of drugs that will keep me alive and vigorous when I’m a geezer. It’s just … what were the Republicans and the drug companies thinking when they created Part D? What did they think would happen? Did they really believe that, if they’d create this program, Congress would never impose price controls?

As I argued on TV today, Part D has Congress buying — through the middleman of the private drug plans — a product with high research and development costs and low marginal costs. And Congress buys those drugs for a politically powerful group of citizens (the geezers). That kind of setup cannot last. The temptation for Congress to pay nothing more than the marginal costs will be inexorable, because doing so pleases constituencies that are paying attention (seniors and current taxpayers) and harms only those constituencies that are either unpopular (drug manufacturers) or else aren’t paying attention (future seniors, including those not yet born).

The writing is on the wall. It may not happen this year, but unless we scrap Part D, sooner or later we will get price controls on seniors’ prescription drugs.

So let’s scrap Part D.

What? You’re a Republican who voted for Part D, against conscience and better judgment?? And now you’re afraid to scrap Part D for fear of (gasp!) flip-flopping or offending the geezers?? Then start talking about fundamental Medicare reform, buddy. And start now.