<story><title>Walmart unveils low-price analog insulin amid rising diabetes drug costs</title><url>https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/29/walmart-unveils-low-price-analog-insulin-amid-rising-diabetes-drug-costs.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>giarc</author><text>How is this sold to Americans as a good option? Is it that you have &amp;quot;choice&amp;quot; of insurance providers? Is it that you might pay less if you are healthy? I don&amp;#x27;t get it, why do so many American&amp;#x27;s vote in politicians who advocate for this type of healthcare?!</text></item><item><author>mustacheemperor</author><text>You get a whole &lt;i&gt;check-up&lt;/i&gt; per year at that rate? Here in the states I had to see a doctor (in network with my health insurance) twice during the pandemic, each visit lasted under 40 minutes in an online video call, combined cost out of pocket: $1000 USD.</text></item><item><author>memetcn</author><text>It absolutely blows my mind that people are hyped about a Supermarket started selling insulin at low cost.&lt;p&gt;And I&amp;#x27;m writing from Turkey which you would think it would be terrible in managing any public infrastructure including health.&lt;p&gt;My company pays equivalent to 400 USD per year for private health insurance, gives me unlimited access for surgeries, any treatment that I need to stay at hospital and a check-up per year. The insurance is valid in any private hospital including the ones that look like straight out of Space Odyssey.&lt;p&gt;You know what&amp;#x27;s more interesting? If you think this is a good deal, then almost everyone in Turkey thinks this kind of service should be provided by public healthcare system and demand it. Not only for the people that can pay 400 USD per year.&lt;p&gt;edit: I realized it sounds like you need to pay 400 USD for unlimited healthcare but you don&amp;#x27;t need to pay anything for the state hospitals. The insurance is for zero-cost treatment at the private hospitals. You do pay a contribution fee around 3-5 USD for every visit plus prescription at the state hospitals though. I believe it is for discouraging unnecessary visits to the hospitals but even that causes a stir.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>dcolkitt</author><text>The high cost of healthcare in the US has very little to do with the structure of insurance. Insurance industry profits only account for 2% of aggregate medical expenditures.&lt;p&gt;The reason that Turkish healthcare is much cheaper than American healthcare is primarily because Turkish doctors are paid much less than American doctors. (As are Turkish nurses, and Turkish drug and device wholesalers, and so on.) There&amp;#x27;s a very simple solution to that. All you have to do is let Turkish doctors come to the United States and practice medicine. Or better yet let Turkish hospitals open entire branches in the United States and wholesale import their staff, equipment, and drugs from Turkey.&lt;p&gt;The reason that doesn&amp;#x27;t happen is because we have a cartel called the American Medical Association that continuously lobbies for antiquated barriers to foreign competition. Unless a physician does a residency in America (which good luck, if you&amp;#x27;re a foreigner from a foreign school), you will never be allowed to practice in the US.</text></comment>
<story><title>Walmart unveils low-price analog insulin amid rising diabetes drug costs</title><url>https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/29/walmart-unveils-low-price-analog-insulin-amid-rising-diabetes-drug-costs.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>giarc</author><text>How is this sold to Americans as a good option? Is it that you have &amp;quot;choice&amp;quot; of insurance providers? Is it that you might pay less if you are healthy? I don&amp;#x27;t get it, why do so many American&amp;#x27;s vote in politicians who advocate for this type of healthcare?!</text></item><item><author>mustacheemperor</author><text>You get a whole &lt;i&gt;check-up&lt;/i&gt; per year at that rate? Here in the states I had to see a doctor (in network with my health insurance) twice during the pandemic, each visit lasted under 40 minutes in an online video call, combined cost out of pocket: $1000 USD.</text></item><item><author>memetcn</author><text>It absolutely blows my mind that people are hyped about a Supermarket started selling insulin at low cost.&lt;p&gt;And I&amp;#x27;m writing from Turkey which you would think it would be terrible in managing any public infrastructure including health.&lt;p&gt;My company pays equivalent to 400 USD per year for private health insurance, gives me unlimited access for surgeries, any treatment that I need to stay at hospital and a check-up per year. The insurance is valid in any private hospital including the ones that look like straight out of Space Odyssey.&lt;p&gt;You know what&amp;#x27;s more interesting? If you think this is a good deal, then almost everyone in Turkey thinks this kind of service should be provided by public healthcare system and demand it. Not only for the people that can pay 400 USD per year.&lt;p&gt;edit: I realized it sounds like you need to pay 400 USD for unlimited healthcare but you don&amp;#x27;t need to pay anything for the state hospitals. The insurance is for zero-cost treatment at the private hospitals. You do pay a contribution fee around 3-5 USD for every visit plus prescription at the state hospitals though. I believe it is for discouraging unnecessary visits to the hospitals but even that causes a stir.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>ansible</author><text>The debate in the USA is framed with the implication that if you (the health care consumer) does not have &amp;quot;choice&amp;quot; then you will be forced to only see a really terrible doctor, and get substandard care at a high price.  And that, with a little effort on your own part, you will be able to select a better doctor at a affordable price.&lt;p&gt;Therefore, if you have a bad doctor or expensive care, it is your own damn fault. You just didn&amp;#x27;t try hard enough to find a good one.&lt;p&gt;It is the same thing with the debate about school vouchers vs. a standard public education for everyone.  A heaping dose of &amp;quot;the free market fixes everything&amp;quot;, for all life&amp;#x27;s problems.&lt;p&gt;I would rather not have a &amp;quot;choice&amp;quot;.  I would like to be able to select &lt;i&gt;any&lt;/i&gt; nearby doctor, and be assured of getting competent care.&lt;p&gt;I&amp;#x27;m not often in the situation where I have a wacky tropical disease that presents odd and incongruous symptoms, which would take a Dr. House to figure out.  I am far more likely to have run-of-the-mill heart disease or a common form of cancer. I just need a doctor with some basic level of competence, who can just listen to me and help me through the common health problems of modern life.</text></comment>