Drug Prices Out of Control in the US
A free public service for a better community
Happy Tuesday Advocates
If there are subjects you’d like to see or improvements made, please let me know using the comment button below. Videos of these newsletters appear on Youtube on this channel. Let me know what you think.
Prices of Drugs in the US
Americans pay significantly more for brand-name drugs than people in most other countries. With Medicare set to begin historic price negotiations for 10 important prescription drugs, a new Commonwealth Fund study finds that, even after estimated discounts, U.S. prices eclipse those in nearly every peer country. Among the findings: list retail prices for the 10 selected drugs are, on average, three times higher in the U.S. compared to other high-income countries, and U.S. prices after estimated discounts and rebates are higher than nearly all prices in these countries even before discounts and rebates.
Since we are comparing to the US, the US price is listed at 100% in the graph . Switzerland, which has commercial universal healthcare - with a mandate, is at 34% of the US and is highest. In Australia those drugs cost 12% of the US.
BTW - a common pharma excuse is that they need to overcharge in the US for research. That is a LIE. Most drugs are developed using federal research support. Got it - our taxes support their research and then they take us to the cleaners.
Key Takeaways
List retail prices for the 10 selected drugs are, on average, three times higher in the United States than in the other high-income countries.
Prices after discounts and rebates in the U.S. are higher than almost all prices before discounts and rebates in peer countries, except for Xarelto, leaving significant room for further reductions in negotiation when compared with other countries.
Of course, if we had Universal Healthcare we could negotiate all the prices - just like the rest of the industrialized world. I hate that healthcare in the US is Caveat Emptor (you can look that up if it isn’t familiar or shoot me a note and I’ll translate).
Inhaler Prices
The Hill is reporting that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and a group of Senate Democrats on Monday announced an investigation into the high costs of asthma inhalers. Sanders, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent letters to the CEOs of the four biggest manufacturers of inhalers sold in the United States — AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Teva — demanding information and documents on internal strategic communications, patient assistance programs and the costs involved in the manufacturing of inhalers.
Like many other prescription drugs, the companies’ inhalers sell for hundreds of dollars in the U.S. but for only fractions of that same cost overseas. The companies charge between $200 and $600 each for inhaler products that are typically purchased monthly.
For example, one of AstraZeneca’s inhalers costs $645 in the U.S. but just $49 in the U.K. One of Boehringer Ingelheim’s inhalers costs $489 in the U.S. but just $7 in France. GSK’s popular Advair HFA costs $319 in the U.S. but just $26 in the U.K.
If we had a marketplace where buyer and seller could negotiate a fair price we would all be better off. That’s what capitalism is. Here we are just told to take it or leave it.
ACTION
Let’s remind those who are supposed to represent our interests in Congress that drug prices bloated by drug companies and Pharmacy Benefit Manager bribery schemes are not in our interest. But a system of fairly negotiated prices is in our interest.
Text SIGN PXNAGP to 50409 to send the email below (or call/email your MoC & Senators - contact info in the Resources section.
“I am your constituent and I am outraged to have learned that the US pays at least 300% more for the 10 drugs medicare is going to negotiate than the next highest nation (Switzerland).
We need to be able to get drug prices under control in the US and the way to do it is to negotiate fair drug prices for all of us by having Universal Healthcare. I want you to start representing the interests of your constituents and not the drug companies and insurance companies.
I want you to support and pass Universal Healthcare like HR 3421. You owe it to your constituents. Thank you.”
Non-Profit Hospitals in Good Shape
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation investigation into the financial health of non-profit hospitals and medical centers found that about 90% of them were in good shape. About 3/4 had at least 150 days of operating cash on hand. Here is a link to the full story. I used to work in an industry where having that much cash on hand was a luxury.
Of course, if we had universal healthcare with global budgets, like HR 3421, then each hospital/medical center’s infrastructure cost would be covered and we could spend this time talking about something else.
RESOURCES
Healthcare Advocacy (Us)
Website
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare
Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Find My Elected Officials
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
By phone: (202) 224-3121
By email: democracy.io
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Organizations to Contact
National Nurses United Medicare4All
Physicians for a National Health Program
One Payer States
Healthcare Now
Reproductive Health
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion
Planned Parenthood
Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.
United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.
Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.
If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Disinformation Management
Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water RESISTBOT write up
Thanks for reading Healthcare Advocacy! Subscribe for free to receive new posts
Yes! It’s another one of those George W. Bush gifts that keeps on giving. I have to pay full price for Armour Thyroid--a medication that doesn’t require research, development, advertising, patents--nothing. And that price is now in the hundreds, where once it came to $5 or so. What BS.