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1. Drug companies can charge whatever price they want
2. Insurance companies are also charging you more
3. Old drugs are reformulated as costly new drugs
4. Generic drug shortages can trigger massive price increases
5. Specialty drugs are costing all of us
Most other countries don’t allow drug companies to bombard regular citizens to be bombarded with commercials day and night saying “Ask your doctor about X,” when “X” is probably a drug that is 10-20x more expensive than another drug out there that is probably just as effective. There is absolutely no reason why we need this level of direct marketing since it’s not like a patient can go and purchase a prescription drug on his or her own. We’ve already cut back on what sort of marketing is allowed to physicians (still not enough), but at least some level of marketing there makes sense. No physician is going to prescribe a drug unless he or she knows about it. When Joe Patient is insisting to his doctor that he needs the $1000 a month treatment because he saw it on TV even though he hasn’t even tried the $30 a month treatment that is likely to be effective, that’s a problem.
How are you planning to pay for it then? The drug companies aren't doing that research out of the goodness of their heart, they only do it if they think they can get a return on their investment. Someone has to fund the research. If you think it should be through tax dollars, just understand that new discoveries will slow significantly. The government will decide what does and doesn't get researched, they will send money to what is in vogue to care about, drugs for diseases that get the most publicity, or they may decide drug XYZ handles the problem good enough for government work so no need to find something better. I would not be alive today were it not for drug companies looking for the next gold mine, my insurance and I pay through the nose for a newer medication because I was allergic to an inactive ingredient in the standard medication. I doubt I am the only one who owes their life to good old American greed.
I guess it depends on what you value.
Access for some who can afford it or access for all no matter who can afford it.
You're right. It costs a lot of money. But so do many other government programs. Like NASA. And we were very successful for a long time with that program. Oh and even though their budget was very high, it was still less than 1% of the entire federal budget.
1) Canada pays higher taxes and health care is subsidized
2) US is corrupt to the gills in terms of medication and health care costs.
In Canada we are told this:
1) Prices are higher in the US because there are zero cost controls in place and no oversight from anywhere, they charge whatever they like, no rhyme or reason.
2) Drug prices are low here because the government is the buyer and buys in bulk, so the Canadian government dictates what the pharmas can charge them. Buying power.
1) Prices are higher in the US because there are zero cost controls in place and no oversight from anywhere, they charge whatever they like, no rhyme or reason.
2) Drug prices are low here because the government is the buyer and buys in bulk, so the Canadian government dictates what the pharmas can charge them. Buying power.
Prices are higher here because it is a managed market, not a free market.
It costs millions (or billions) to develop new drugs. Most of that development is done in America by American companies, and first sold to US consumers. For better or worse, we pay the bulk of that development cost...and once again the American taxpayer subsidizes the rest of the world. Really though, what do we need all these new drugs for? Seems like people are getting sicker and more dependant all the time. Aspirin, Tums and penicillin should be plenty.
1) Prices are higher in the US because there are zero cost controls in place and no oversight from anywhere, they charge whatever they like, no rhyme or reason.
2) Drug prices are low here because the government is the buyer and buys in bulk, so the Canadian government dictates what the pharmas can charge them. Buying power.
Could YOU afford to pay out of pocket for a medical procedure that costs tens of thousands or perhaps even hundreds of thousands of dollars? I imagine not. Then where in the world do you guys get this crazy idea that regular, middle-class Canadians (or Brits or French or Germans or Australians, etc) are coming in droves to the US for care?
People from other advanced countries who can afford the obscene costs of US healthcare are, like, maybe 1 or 2 % of the respective populations. Have you ever seen what an American hospital charges for a band aid, for crying out loud? An aspirin?
30$ for a hot towel
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