Evan Barish
LENG 112
May 1, 2021
PREDATION OF THE SICK AND INJURED: FUTURE
The healthcare system is falling apart. People cannot afford their insurance, medicine,
and general care, let alone emergencies and preexisting conditions. According to Robak, a study
found that the price of brand name drugs in the U.S are 3.44 times larger compared to similar
nations (2021). This is absolutely unnecessary, and if it were to continue, America may face
serious issues.
While it may seem obvious, the divide between the poor and the rich is relatively large in
America. The rich can afford their medicine, and the poor cannot. While the gap between the
rich and poor is a different subject, the cost of medicine does drive a wedge deeper between the
two. This, in essence, can cause poor families to become even more deprived, as they must spend
even more on medicine and medical care, if they can afford it at all. Without going into detail on
why the income inequality is horrible, the poor cannot afford basic life necessities (Scheffler
2020). This gap will increase if they are forced to spend more on medical treatment. At some
point they will have two options: forgo medical treatment and risk death/disability/discomfort, or
go into debt. Neither of these are acceptable.
A second alternative future is one where U.S. lawmakers act with the public interest in
mind. This timeline splits depending on which party has power when the government decides to
take a stand. If the right were to win, there would be an office created specifically to negotiate
price cap (Grover 2019). If the left, the department of Health and Human services would do it
(Huetteman 2021). Either way, somebody is negotiating price caps, and the goal is to help the
citizens. It is very difficult to predict if such a strategy would work however, as it is up to big
pharma to decide if they will listen. This is where the two plans differ, with the right saying
negotiation only, and the left setting hard limitations if the companies do not agree to negotiate.
With the companies, theoretically, realizing that people truly cannot afford to be paying tens of
thousands of dollars a year on common medications, a cascade occurs. Insurance companies no
longer have to charge ridiculous amounts to cover overpriced medicines. Doctors can then
charge less as well, as a significant portion of doctor’s prices come from insurance (Anonymous
Doctor, Interview). The doctor interviewed wished to stay anonymous due to insurance
companies and pharmaceutical companies being extremely prejudiced, and if they were to hear
their name, the companies may cut harsher deals with them.
Unfortunately, that solution is possibly many years in the future. However, there are a
few steps individuals can take right now to help. Firstly, you can use GoodRx. The interviewed
doctor explained that it is a small card, that has a little number on it. All someone has to do is
show the card at a pharmacy, and then pay out of pocket. Depending on your insurance, this may
be more beneficial. If you have a high deductible or copay, this may be a good option. According
to Minji Hong and Natalia Shcherbakova, GoodRx offers a statistically lower price for generic
pharmaceuticals compared to cash.
In conclusion, individuals have little they can do besides their best at shopping around
and using GoodRx to help with the radical prices. The future is bleak, and the majority of
solutions involve powers much higher than the individual. However, voting is the primary
influence American citizens have, and the only way to contribute towards such an issue. The
healthcare system may be collapsing, but out of it a new fair system will hopefully arise.
Works Cited
Grover, N. (2019, December 10). Republicans unveil a drug Price bill to rival the Democrats -
promising lower prices and more cures. Retrieved April 29, 2021, from
[Link]
to-rival-the-democrats/
Hong, M., & Shcherbakova, N. (2020). Comparison of discounted and Undiscounted cash prices
for Cardiovascular MEDICATIONS by type of US Community pharmacy. Journal of
General Internal Medicine, 36(1), 114-120. doi:10.1007/s11606-020-06149-7
Huetteman, E. (2021, March 24). Democrats eye medicare negotiations to lower drug prices.
Retrieved April 29, 2021, from [Link]
negotiations-to-lower-drug-prices/
Langreth, R. (2020, September 16). Drug Prices. Retrieved April 27, 2021, from
[Link]
%20more%20on%20prescription,routinely%20cost%20%2410%2C000%20a%20month.
Robak, W. (2021, January 28). Drug prices in the U.S. are 2.56 times those in other nations.
Retrieved April 27, 2021, from [Link]
[Link]#:~:text=The%20gap%20between%20prices%20in,times%20those%20in
%20comparison%20nations.&text=The%20one%20consistent%20area
%20where,average%20paid%20in%20other%20nations.
Scheffler, S. (2020, July 01). Is economic inequality really a problem? Retrieved April 29, 2021,
from [Link]
[Link]