Hundreds of people fall victim to healthcare prices and get taken advantage of by insurance companies. Some in situations where families can’t help their kids recover due to high prices in the industry, or insurance companies not covering treatments people need leaving bank accounts in shambles. Companies hide information from common folk to make a larger profit. Understanding American Healthcare is complicated, so we should look into our healthcare, because of inconsistent prices and spotty insurance coverage.
I myself have had to grapple with the insanity of healthcare. I need medication daily for personal reasons. I’m not a perfect human being and occasionally forget to take said medications, but sometimes it’s hard to access said medication. Lately most places have it out of stock and its price has risen over time. One time it was completely out of stock in my local area and I needed to get it from another city for an insane price.
The high prices of healthcare, the cost of innovation and drug companies setting whatever prices they want. An example is Xofluza which costs around 160$ per box. Xofluza is a product that helps treat and prevent the flu, and nothing else. For the cost of 160$ you get a one trick pony, or you could buy Tamiflu which works similarly and only costs 22$ on average. These examples show that drug companies can price their products whatever they want.
On the flip side Insurance coverage is spotty. When buying products such as medicine some insurances will not cover some medicines. Under some medications it will specify that some (if you’re lucky it will show a percentage) insurances will not cover the product. In some cases the product will not mention insurance coverage, leaving the buyer in the dark. Insurance should be forced to be more open about the details of their plans by federal law, and the price of medicine should be monitored. Some drug companies may say they have the right to charge people whatever they want, but why can they take away one’s right to live? Under some products the coverage of insurance is hidden or glossed over, what insurance covers a product should be easier to find. The inconsistent price of medicine should be capped for each type of product.
Works Consulted
Williams, Kelly L., et al. “Social Justice and Animal Welfare.” HumanePro, humanepro.org/magazine/articles/social-justice-and-animal-welfare. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
“U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating Spending, Worsening Outcomes.” U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022 | Commonwealth Fund, 31 Jan. 2023, www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022.
Robert H. Shmerling, MD. “Is Our Healthcare System Broken?” Harvard Health, 13 July 2021, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-our-healthcare-system-broken-202107132542.
Larry Levitt, MPP. “Complexity in the US Health Care System Is the Enemy of Access and Affordability.” JAMA Health Forum, JAMA Network, 26 Oct. 2023, jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2811354#:~:text=Lack%20of%20insurance%20coverage,is%20more%20difficult%20to%20quantify.
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