> One route to fixing things in the US, if we really wish to do so, is to create by law a "most favored" status for the US such that if a US drug company sells

> One route to fixing things in the US, if we really wish to do so, is to create by law a "most favored" status for the US such that if a US drug company sells outside the country, they must sell the drug in the US for the same price as the lowest price they sell it to any other country. This would largely fix our expensive healthcare, but would also harm the world heavily in advancement. Then you'd end up bankrupting most healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, that is if most of them don't leave the country. If the current scenario is a "tragedy of the commons" a la Guns or Butter, then the US's domestic medical policy is the biggest contributor. A "most favored nation" policy as such just allows the government to pick winners and losers by creating a de facto price control. It's not a solution and would do more harm than good. The ultimate reason why it's expensive to sell a drug in the United States is because the FDA makes it illegal to import competing drugs. The solution is to let the market determine the "real" prices.