Years ago I crossed into Mexico from Weslaco, Texas. You could park on the U.S. side and walk across the bridge into Mexico. If you pull up Weslaco on Google Maps it lists eight different pharmacies or clinics within several blocks of the international border crossing. Google Maps does not always list every business. There are probably more than eight. As I recall there were rows of pharmacies. The storefronts were often narrow but deep. On one side of the pharmacy was cheap drugs while on the other side was cheap liquor.
Category: Health Insurance
Biden Administration Stalling Trump’s Drug Reimportation Rule
It is true that Americans pay the highest price for drugs of any country. If you want to know why, buy an economics textbook and read up on price discrimination, price controls and the effect of third-party payment on medical prices.
Tuesday Links
- British Medicaid Journal: “The current body of scientific data does not support masking children for protection against COVID-19.”
- How the newspapers are getting life expectancy projections wrong.
- Cigna Removes Prior Authorization for 25% of Medical Services.
- Merrill Matthews explains why seniors are over-paying for drugs.
- Tiny robots made from human cells heal damaged tissue. HT: Tyler
Medicare Advantage is Popular with Seniors, but Not Doctors and Hospitals
Hardly a week goes by but what I read something critical of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. MA plans have become somewhat politicized with Democrats preferring government-run (traditional) Medicare, while Republicans like the idea of competition among private plans. Here is the thing that critics forget: MA plans are popular with seniors. They are growing and now cover more than half of all people enrolled in Medicare, about 31 million seniors and disabled individuals.