This illusion puts nearly the full weight of global R&D investments on the shoulders of the United States. The hidden assumption, which few question, is that drug prices in other wealthy nations are non-negotiable.
Since out-of-pocket costs are a small fraction of the total drug expense, drug companies would like Americans to focus on those dollars, rather than on the bigger expense. This requires that Americans believe the illusion that the money government and businesses pay for Rx coverage is free.The reality is that workers and taxpayers end up paying the price for these expensive medications.