Americans pay more for insulin than any other developed country

[octoberlib]

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The U.S.pays several times more for insulin than any other developed country, according to a new RAND report.


Note: The chart above is comparing the U.S. to the other most expensive countries. The average OECD price, excluding the U.S., was about 11 times less than what the U.S. paid in 2018.

Why it matters: Insulin is an old drug and has been a poster child for excessive drug pricing for years, and yet nothing has been done that would significantly bring down its price.

Between the lines: This analysis focuses on list prices, not net prices after rebates. But the authors note that U.S. prices would still have been around four times higher than those in other countries even when accounting for rebates





https://www.axios.com/americans-pay-much-more-for-insulin-bd8db6a9-f9d9-48a4-bbad-23ca295dcfb1.html

[dalton99a]

1. It is barbaric.

[octoberlib]

3. Couldn't agree more. I'm not a diabetic but this really makes my blood boil.

I've read too many articles on people who've halved their dosages because of lack of money and died. Some of them were in their twenties! It's a goddamned crime.

[dalton99a]

5. It is sheer greed. Murder in the name of capitalism.

[ResistantAmerican17]

2. For a drug that us type 1s HAVE to take to live.

[octoberlib]

4. It enrages me. I want Congress to get on this. Way overdue.

I read earlier this year that 3 0r 4 companies produce insulin and they were being investigated for price fixing but haven't heard any more about it.

[dalton99a]

7. Absolutely. This is a winning issue for Democrats

It is an example that many people can relate to

[Chainfire]

8. My wife is type I

So we are very aware of insulin pricing.

The drug companies have a captive market. Pay their price or die.

It is not only insulin. My wife has a monthly eye procedure that cost $8,000.00 dollars per treatment. If we didn't have insurance, she would go blind.

[Ohiogal]

6. Criminal, is what it is.

[Chainfire]

9. In the American health care system, it is just "good business."

Just another tool to transfer wealth from the workers to the investors.

[Ohiogal]

10. I have lost count

How many times I have said to my husband (when going over confusing health insurance billing) .... “That’s our wonderful for-profit health care system for you.”

[ooky]

11. Thank you for your post. My son is type 1 so this is personal for me.

He was diagnosed at age 6 and is 32 now, so I have been navigating insulin costs for a long time. It's criminal. Even with health insurance, diabetes is a financial drain that he can't afford to pay it all by himself so we have to help him. More and more employer health insurance plans have big copays, and the insulin isn't the only high cost we have to deal with. He had to replace his insulin pump this year and we had $3700 out of pocket for the $7500 pump. Fortunately I've been in financial position to help him with these outrageous costs but I do not see how many people can survive this diagnosis financially. My blood boils over when I see Trump standing up lying about how he has reduced the cost of insulin. God I hate that man's guts.

If we sweep the elections we need immediate, compassionate legislation to provide financial relief to people and families who are dealing with this awful situation.

[tanyev]

12. But it's so cheap, it's like water.

Said the man who knows what nothing costs and doesn't pay his bills.

[crickets]

13. K&R for the post and the discussion.

[moondust]

14. Some travel to Canada to buy.

Watch: High Cost Of Insulin Sends Americans To Canada To Stock Up

I don't know how much the situation has changed over the past year.

[Le Roi de Pot]

15. Republicans have successfully tied the hands of the Government in the name of Freedom

Freedom indeed.


Freedom for big companies to fuck people over.

[hunter]

16. Are there any medicines we pay less for?

Years ago my wife and I had a very bad year when our monthly prescription costs were higher than our mortgage. That was the amount we had to pay in addition to what our insurance paid.

Before that we'd thought we had good insurance...

I don't think most insurance companies care about cutting costs by playing hardball with the pharmaceutical companies. They only care about the size of the revenue streams they control. The larger the stream, the more they can siphon off for unconscionable executive salaries, private jets, lush corporate headquarters, lobbyists, political favors, etc.

We need a national health care system now. I favor the more socialist sort, but we have plenty of models to choose from, systems that have been proven in truly civilized nations.

The U.S.A. can't claim to be a civilized nation if it has no national health care system.

[octoberlib]

17. I'd say no. My mom is retired and is on Medicare. When she hits the donut

hole every year, one of her prescriptions is just ridiculous. Dems had gotten rid of the donut hole and it was supposed to take effect in 2019. Republicans must have killed it.