Why are medications so expensive in the US? (drug, health care, death)
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A major mechanism driving excessive drug costs is the little-understood (but very powerful) entities known as “Pharmacy Benefit Managers” (PBMs). PBMs date from the late 1950s, when they were created to manage medication reimbursements that were becoming part of medical insurance policies. Over time, PBMs repositioned themselves as critical middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and, thus patients. Currently, PBMs create the formularies that insurance companies use to determine which medications are covered by a given insurance plan. PBMs also provide “utilization management”, i.e., enforcing the stepwise gauntlet that patients must run and fail before they qualify for the next higher level of medication. Finally, PBMs negotiate prices with drug manufacturers on “behalf” of insurance companies and institutions.
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Many researchers indicate that they believe that PBM accounting practices are deliberately made opaque to impede scrutiny and regulation.
If we're going to address the excessive cost of health care in the US, this sounds like one political avenue that could be explored by our government.
Because in most cases cost conscious consumers are not buying them, they are being bought by the insurance companies and the government. Why do you think over the counter medicine is so much cheaper than prescription medicine? Why do you think the medicine you get in a hospital is so much more expensive than the same medicine you can buy in a drug store? Why do you think that elective surgery/procedures not covered by insurance/Medicare/caid is so much cheaper than those that are? Eliminate the cost conscious consumer, and companies will charge as much as they can get away with.
Insurance companies threaten reduction in manufacturing if they are threatened with cost controls. I say, implement cost controls and let the cards fall were they may. I am getting tired of being taxed to death and expected to pay triple what the rest of the planet pays for basic goods and services.
Sad part is as Joe Bribedin keeps printing money and taxing corporations the less the dollar is worth and the more inflation we will see. Add that to the fact we pay more for everything and well, any reasonable American should be about fed up with this ****.
If we're going to address the excessive cost of health care in the US, this sounds like one political avenue that could be explored by our government.
Insurance. Many countries have meds you can just buy over the counter. My Dr gave me a note if what to buy and unless is the restricted meds like oxy- you just buy it. I remember my thyroid med cash was $4.00 with insurance $10. Crazy right? Yes, the middle man fees.
it’s because our government through regulation considers healthcare and health insurance to be exactly the same thing snd requires everyone to have an insurance policy or be taxed. Ah, the good old days. Since the ACA was passed the cost of healthcare and health insurance both went down as promised…oh wait, they continue spiraling out of control.
Did you know that in the 1980s you didn’t need an entire staff to handle medical billings to insurance companies/medicaid, etc? clearly more government is the solution
If we're going to address the excessive cost of health care in the US, this sounds like one political avenue that could be explored by our government.
98% of the US medical system is designed to make people unhealthy and get them on a myriad of pills. The Pharmaceutical industry profits enormously from this system and gives a ton of money to politicians to get them to do what they want. My take is the US doesn't have a healthy system, it has an unhealth system.
Another part of the unhealth system is the lies we've been told about the food pyramid, fat is bad, carbs are good, etc.
After getting unhealthy in the US unhealth system, I learned how to opt out so now very fit and healthy in my 60's, very low body fat, high muscle mass, etc.
All European countries regulate medication prices. So it's much cheaper.
But the U.S. is a very corrupt country where our politicians are owned by corporations.
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