Does America have the cure for high drug costs?

ah Mr Smith weve got a new cancer cure that will probably save your life, thatll be $120,000/year. what thats over your budget, oh OK weve got some very reasonable priced funeral parlors we can introduce you too if you like. please let us know, have a nice day.

As long as the American health and health insurance industries run the way they do right now, drug prices will remain astronomical.

Please don't confuse America (North, Central & South and the Caribbean) with the United States of America (USA) ... one is a continent, the other a country/nation!

When one refers to America it is generally USA. Sorry, it's been that way for decades or longer.

The regulation the pharma companies need to comply with are extensive and increasing. I want everyone safe but 1 in 100,000 reactions don't warrant lawsuits either. The drug helps more than it hurts, by far. Lawyers, one of the crooks overlooked.

Does America have the cure for high drug costs?

It's called equality. As the study detailed in the book The Spirit Level shows, more equal societies, regardless of their GDP, have better social indicators, including health. Since the US is a highly unequal society, it has some of the worst social indicators of OECD nations. Fairer income and wealth distribution will reduce the need for overpriced drugs. Sadly, Japan, in copying US neoliberal policy, has seen growing inequality and a much worsening of social indicators over the past 20 years.

Yeah agree prices are out of hand in USA. I think it will take a combined effort of commercial market and some regulation to get prices down. You don't want to kill the industry but I believe a little reigning in is needed.

It is all about GREED.

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” ( Socrat)

@JoeDuncan You don't want to kill the industry but I believe a little reigning in is needed.

I fully agree. Predatory practices need to be checked. Check this out: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3243938/Ex-hedge-funder-32-hated-man-internet-defends-jacking-prices-AIDS-medication-5500.html