Why Are Drug Prices So High? We’re Curious, Too
- 7 years ago
Why Are Drug Prices So High? We’re Curious, Too
Our reporting journey has turned up some counterintuitive stories, like how insurance companies sometimes require patients to take brand-name drugs —
and refuse to cover generic alternatives — even when that means patients have to pay more out of pocket.
As a “lower cost alternative,” OptumRx, which is owned by UnitedHealth Group, suggested she try painkillers like OxyContin,
according to a letter she shared with us, even though they carry a higher risk of abuse and dependence.
But these stories — about patients who believed their insurers were placing roadblocks in the way of less risky painkillers — felt new to us.
Surveys have shown that high drug prices rank near the top of consumers’ health care concerns,
and politicians in both parties — including President Trump — have vowed to do something about it.
“The whole point of pain management is to take the least amount of medication possible to manage your pain, so
that you always have somewhere to go when the pain increases or changes,” she wrote to us.
Our reporting journey has turned up some counterintuitive stories, like how insurance companies sometimes require patients to take brand-name drugs —
and refuse to cover generic alternatives — even when that means patients have to pay more out of pocket.
As a “lower cost alternative,” OptumRx, which is owned by UnitedHealth Group, suggested she try painkillers like OxyContin,
according to a letter she shared with us, even though they carry a higher risk of abuse and dependence.
But these stories — about patients who believed their insurers were placing roadblocks in the way of less risky painkillers — felt new to us.
Surveys have shown that high drug prices rank near the top of consumers’ health care concerns,
and politicians in both parties — including President Trump — have vowed to do something about it.
“The whole point of pain management is to take the least amount of medication possible to manage your pain, so
that you always have somewhere to go when the pain increases or changes,” she wrote to us.