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“Big pharma raising drug prices in the fastest rate in years. Interesting timing, coming ahead of supposed healthcare reform. The New York Times reports that prices have increased by 9 percent over the past year. By one analysis this is the highest annual rate of inflation for drug prices since the year 1992.” (CNBC)

Drugmakers say they support Washington’s efforts to reform the health care system by touting a deal with the White House to reduce the nation’s drug bill by $80 billion over the next 10 years. But this year’s price increases would effectively cancel out the savings from at least the first year of the Senate Finance agreement, according to The New York Times. Media sources have been debating the reasons for this pricey contradiction.

We’re looking at perspectives from MSNBC, The New York Times, FOX News and CNN.

First, Dylan Ratigan of MSNBC’s Morning Meeting says drug companies want to look like the hero, while slyly increasing prices before the health reform.  

“This spike is equal to the extra $10 billion spike were talking about. Life is good and everybody thinks you help cut costs. This at a time when everybody hoped reform will lower costs, the nation as a whole paying a whopping $300 billion for prescription drugs. Contessa, does the thought of paying more for drugs scare you off the reform? ‘No, it scares me off the drugs.’”

FOX and Friends says the burden of price increase goes to the government's drug bill instead.

“It’s the fine print in the legislation worrying many Americans, that’s according to a new Associated Press and Stanford University poll. They found 43 percent opposed the plans in Congress with seniors remaining more skeptical than younger people. Meantime, despite promises to shave $8 billion off drug costs after new legislation takes effect, drug companies have been raising prices at an alarmingly fast rate. In the last year prices of brand name prescriptions rose 9 percent. The nation’s drug bill is on track to exceed $300 billion this year.”

The New York Times article takes the stance that the drug companies trend is at odds with inflation but provides a perspective from the drug-makers.

“Drug companies say they are having to raise prices to maintain the profits necessary to invest in research and development of new drugs as the patents on many of their most popular drugs are set to expire over the next few years.”

Finally, CNN correspondent Alina Cho reports that industry experts are not surprised with the sudden hike in drug prices.

“Consumer advocates say they’ve seen it all before. Higher prices every time the government is about to initiate major change. ‘We see how ghoulish this industry is, and it’s almost taunting everyone. As long as you’re not going to control our prices, we’re going to raise them as much as we want.”

So what’s your take on rising drug prices?

Writer: Allison Bennett and Lauren Styler

Producer: Nathan Giannini