3 ms·

Can someone explain to me why I should care about drug prices when they're covered by medicare (as a private person and an American, which I am not, thus asking

Can someone explain to me why I should care about drug prices when they're covered by medicare (as a private person and an American, which I am not, thus asking). As an Austrian I don't know what my meds cost. I pay a flat fee of 6 Euros per package at the drugstore if I have a prescription. And I can't get my main ones without one.

ffjfjfjf788aa 5y ago
Because you pay one way or another, via taxes in Austria, or via insurance deductions in other countries, or sometimes a combination of both. With the tax route their is also austerity, we won't buy that park for children cos paying for a single customer of biogen for twelve months has removed that opportunity (these decisions are obviously at aggregate scale). Tldr you pay way more than six euros unless it's just a nonpatent generic antibiotic or fever medicine
pcurve 5y ago
Because someone still has to pay for the drugs through tax and/or subsidized through paycheck (if you have private insurance). You might pay 6 euros per package, but that could be a 50 euro drug. The 44 euro difference is being made up through your nationalized healthcare. If by and large, most of the drugs are reasonably priced, then a flat fee structure of 6 euros is possible, because it's small enough sum that it could easily be paid by other people who is paying into the pool, but not using the healthcare service. In fact, up until 15-20 years ago, it was common for American health plans to have flat fee of $5-$10 for most drugs. That went straight out the window with emergence of more expensive medications that costs tens of thousands of dollars per patient per year, which completely skewed the average price of medications, and flat fee of $5-10 became unsustainable. Nowadays, $25-30 is the norm depending on your plan, and if your plan covers it. $50-100 is common if you insist on taking medications for which there are cheaper alternatives.

ffjfjfjf788aa 5y ago

Because you pay one way or another, via taxes in Austria, or via insurance deductions in other countries, or sometimes a combination of both. With the tax route their is also austerity, we won't buy that park for children cos paying for a single customer of biogen for twelve months has removed that opportunity (these decisions are obviously at aggregate scale). Tldr you pay way more than six euros unless it's just a nonpatent generic antibiotic or fever medicine

pcurve 5y ago

Because someone still has to pay for the drugs through tax and/or subsidized through paycheck (if you have private insurance). You might pay 6 euros per package, but that could be a 50 euro drug. The 44 euro difference is being made up through your nationalized healthcare. If by and large, most of the drugs are reasonably priced, then a flat fee structure of 6 euros is possible, because it's small enough sum that it could easily be paid by other people who is paying into the pool, but not using the healthcare service. In fact, up until 15-20 years ago, it was common for American health plans to have flat fee of $5-$10 for most drugs. That went straight out the window with emergence of more expensive medications that costs tens of thousands of dollars per patient per year, which completely skewed the average price of medications, and flat fee of $5-10 became unsustainable. Nowadays, $25-30 is the norm depending on your plan, and if your plan covers it. $50-100 is common if you insist on taking medications for which there are cheaper alternatives.