The High Cost of Health Care: Why Some Pay $240 for a $9 Bottle of Pills
February 2013
in “
Social Science Research Network
”
TLDR Some people pay $240 for medication that costs $9 due to drug industry tactics and complicated healthcare policies.
In February 2013, it was reported that while generic drugs like finasteride, used to treat androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss), were available at bargain prices at Wal-Mart and Target (as low as $9), patients in one major health care system were unable to access these prices and had to pay up to $240 for an equivalent supply. This discrepancy was attributed to the complex interplay of drug industry tactics, state and federal laws, insurance company reimbursement policies, and the prescription policies of the health care system in question.