U.S. insulin costs per patient nearly doubled from 2012 to 2016, study finds
The cost of insulin for treating Type 1 diabetes in the United States nearly doubled over a recent five-year period, underscoring a national outcry over rising drug prices, according to a new analysis.
A patient with Type 1 diabetes incurred annual insulin costs of $5,705, on average, in 2016. The average cost was roughly half that, at $2,864 per patient, in 2012, according to a report released on Tuesday by the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute.
The figures represent the combined amount paid by a patient and their health plan for the medicine and do not reflect rebates paid at a later date.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 24 2019, @01:42AM (6 children)
People from other countries complain about how the us government messes up everything around the world, then wonder why people in the us dont want them deciding which medical treatments, etc are available. It really is not difficult to understand.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday January 24 2019, @02:05AM (5 children)
Apparently it is really hard to understand that proper taxpayer funded healthcare does not work like that.
Doctors decide what treatments are available. Politicians provide the money.
Now it's your turn to explain how I'm wrong, and the Minister of Health goes around all the hospitals making sure the doctors don't don't give people too many injections.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 24 2019, @03:44AM (4 children)
I have no personal experience with the NHS but just using common sense I knew this would be the case:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/oct/21/nice-nhs-drug-approval [theguardian.com]
(Score: 2) by dry on Thursday January 24 2019, @06:55AM (3 children)
Perhaps they have evidence rather then propaganda? I live close enough to America that I get their media. Endless commercials pushing drugs. If the $1000 medicine is basically the same as the $100 medicine, which should the government pay for. Same as if something is hopeless such as advanced Alzheimer's.
I think in the States, it's the same except it's the insurance industry making the decision, with some corruption thrown in.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 24 2019, @11:26AM (2 children)
The point is that under the NHS, the government decides what treatments are available.
(Score: 2) by dry on Thursday January 24 2019, @05:00PM (1 child)
And under private insurance, the private company decides what treatments are available. As private industry is usually more inefficient due to needing to make a profit and pay its executives bonuses and golden parachutes, the government by default is a better choice. If you disagree, well you do have the choice of private.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 24 2019, @06:30PM
Oh yea. Health insurance is a huge scam. It is much cheaper not to use it. I would like to get a really high deductible plan for really cheap. I mean like a couple hundred dollars/year with a $20-100k deductible, but that doesn't exist because it would make too much sense.