Drug Coupons Hide True Costs Of Medicines From Consumers
Pharmaceutical companies have found a way around higher insurance copays for brand-name drugs. They offer coupon cards so patients don’t have to pay more. But insurance companies say that if everyone uses the cards to get pricier name-brand drugs, premiums will rise. This story comes from our partner NPR News
A Medical Mystery: Why Health Care Is So Expensive
Policymakers are looking for ways to trim medical spending. In a single procedure, a cardiologist might throw away two heart stents that cost $2,000 apiece. That’s just part of providing proper care, the doctor says – it’s the economics of precision and technological advance. This story comes from our partner NPR News.
Doctors Disagree About Effectiveness, Cost Of Stents
For policymakers to cut medical spending, they must persuade doctors that some procedures are unnecessary. A friendly debate between two cardiologists over using stents to unclog arteries shows how hard it may be to achieve that consensus. This story comes from our partner NPR News.
