When I switched my health insurance over, everything remained the same or better except for the cost of my prescription drugs. Thankfully, I only have one prescription to fill once a month, but the cost went up from having to pay $40 (which was already too high) to paying $50! So, what gives? I know that for other people, the cost of their prescription medication is far worse than my own situation, but why are prescription drugs so expensive?!

Perhaps part of the reason that prescription drugs are so expensive has to do with the fact that the cost of healthcare has gone up. Additionally, there is a lot of research being done on new drugs, which haven’t even come out yet, which may be driving up prices. But while the prices are going up, people’s tolerance is becoming less and less. The problems that we are seeing with healthcare now is creating other problems. For example, one study that was published in the Los Angeles Times found that increasing numbers of people were getting married so that they could have better health insurance coverage under their spouse. If getting married for the health insurance wasn’t bad enough; still, other people have given up waiting for the cost of prescription medication to go down and have begun to seek other alternatives. Many people have actually been shopping for drugs outside of the country, which brings into question all sorts of legal issues.

Who’s Really Suffering?

The high price of prescription drugs is mainly affecting the older population of people in the United States. This is bad for several reasons. First of all, the people of the older generations are the ones who use prescription medications the most. My grandmother, alone, is a diabetic and is required to take somewhere around 7-8 different prescription medications, and there are others who are in the same boat as her. The burden to pay exorbitant prices for numerous prescription medications is falling most heavily on this generation, many of whom live on fixed incomes (like my grandmother) and who are forced to choose between the very drugs that will help them live a longer, healthier lives versus the immediate needs such as rent, food and other bills.

So, what do you think can be done about this situation? Feel free to respond back and voice your concerns.

For more information on individual health insurance in North Carolina, contact BCBSNC today!

Tags: Health, Health News //