JVO
Robert ReichAverage list price for a unit of insulin:
Australia: $6.94
UK: $7.52
France: $9.08
Germany: $11
Canada: $12
Japan: $14.40
US: $98.70
Isn't it time America hold Big Pharma accountable for its extortion?
Albert Nurick 🌎@rbreich It’s as if allowing corporations to legally bribe our leaders has consequences.
AvaE@htownchowdown @rbreich Mostly Republican Leaders
Jürgen@rbreich One of the ‘benefits’ of the ‘free’ market…
InfiniteOne@rbreich The American Healthcare and pharmaceutical industries should be deemed human rights violators and prosecuted at The Hague.
Phiend@rbreich
They’re more interested in big tech, unfortunately.🤦🏻♂️
They’re more interested in big tech, unfortunately.🤦🏻♂️
lanibear@rbreich And that starts by making big pharmacies UNCOMFORTABLE doing what they’re doing.
Change legislation
Change laws
Swarm whomever you can in their own space, like they’re doing to Kavanaugh
Get in faces
STOP FIGHTING EACHNOTHER AND FIGHT THE REAL ENEMY
gom@rbreich You already hold them accountable. The CEOs get bonuses and their shareholders are getting higher valuation of their shares.
HLGEM
DoctorSynth@rbreich Without insurance, my insulin was $1350/month. With insurance, $650/month. That's earning millionaire CEO profits on top of my suffering.
The Polish Dispatch
equivocalBob@rbreich While I expect that the costs you listed are relatively correct, based on my personal experience, I doubt that the cost of a "unit" of insulin is $98.70. Could you have meant cost of a vial of insulin?
The TLDR: 1 unit of insulin is a typically a REALLY small amount of fluid. No one sells 1 unit of insulin.
My U100 insulin comes in 10 milliliter vials. U100 means there are 100 units of insulin in each 1 milliliter. So my vials of insulin contain 10*100 = 1,000 units of insulin.
The TLDR: 1 unit of insulin is a typically a REALLY small amount of fluid. No one sells 1 unit of insulin.
My U100 insulin comes in 10 milliliter vials. U100 means there are 100 units of insulin in each 1 milliliter. So my vials of insulin contain 10*100 = 1,000 units of insulin.
BC Boggs@equivocalBob @rbreich Yeah....those prices aren't per unit of insulin, at least as the word 'unit' is used in insulin dosing (1 unit = 0.01mL).
0.01mL of insulin is not anywhere near $12 in Canada. I can get a 10mL vial humalog/lispro for ~$40.00 making it $0.04 cents per unit of Humalog/lispro insulin.
It must be the more general definition of unit (aka vial) but even then i find it confusing...can't imagine where the $12 figure in Canada comes from...unless these are prices for the bioequivalent insulin vials coming on the market?
Ulrike@brittlelife @equivocalBob @rbreich
Per vial is correct. Jan 2022.
https://www.rand.org/blog/rand-review/2021/01/the-astronomical-price-of-insulin-hurts-american-families.html
Per vial is correct. Jan 2022.
https://www.rand.org/blog/rand-review/2021/01/the-astronomical-price-of-insulin-hurts-american-families.html
The Astronomical Price of Insulin Hurts American Families
More than 30 million Americans have diabetes, and nearly a quarter of them use insulin to manage their symptoms and prevent life-threatening complications. The price they have to pay for insulin is more than ten times higher than the average prices in 32 other countries combined.
@ulidig @equivocalBob @rbreich
Ahhh. and the average price "across all insulins". Interesting way to compare markets.
Will read the full study more carefully after I have a coffee. Thanks for the link.
Ahhh. and the average price "across all insulins". Interesting way to compare markets.
Will read the full study more carefully after I have a coffee. Thanks for the link.
Jeff@brittlelife @equivocalBob @rbreich thanks, I was going to ask something like that. All of those numbers seemed crazy high.
A vial is frequently 1000 units, and a single pen is 300 units (and can come in 5 packs).
There is a valid point here (that everyone already knows) but screwing up stats invites being called either incompetent or a liar.
@equivocalBob @rbreich
I found the source, and it's the per vial cost in Jan 2021.
https://www.rand.org/blog/rand-review/2021/01/the-astronomical-price-of-insulin-hurts-american-families.html
I found the source, and it's the per vial cost in Jan 2021.
https://www.rand.org/blog/rand-review/2021/01/the-astronomical-price-of-insulin-hurts-american-families.html
The Astronomical Price of Insulin Hurts American Families
More than 30 million Americans have diabetes, and nearly a quarter of them use insulin to manage their symptoms and prevent life-threatening complications. The price they have to pay for insulin is more than ten times higher than the average prices in 32 other countries combined.
Phil Thane ✅@rbreich America, Land of the Free (market). Everywhere else has these nasty socialist ideas about regulation.
Douglas @revdjenk JenkinsSo why are we asking for a $35 cap, then? Looks like $15 would cover!!!
Rick@rbreich When I was receiving Cisplatin as part of my cancer treatment protocol, 5ccs cost $610. Table 1 shows what Cisplatin is going for now. https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/jop.2015.006700
@rbreich why are we so gross?
John Breen@rbreich Not if you ask Senator Cinema - sorry, misspelled that, Sinema.
Jeff Spencer@rbreich - And it's time for the USA to hold big Oil and fossil Gas accountable for their extortion!
Abort The Court@rbreich
we must feed the bottomless pit of greed the insurance companies live off. Oligarchs
we must feed the bottomless pit of greed the insurance companies live off. Oligarchs
Economics is Science@rbreich that’s what Coca-cola wants. how about we tax the fuck out of sugar and processed grains.
OldeHippi 🦋🎨🙏🌺They ignore the pledge
"And Harm to None"
How can they legally get away with that?? Politicians don't care!!
SFborn1940@rbreich Our government representatives are being paid off by Big Pharma. We should expect no help from Congress.
Some call this democracy. I call it corruption.
Some call this democracy. I call it corruption.
HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴
Robert Reich (@[email protected])
Average list price for a unit of insulin: Australia: $6.94 UK: $7.52 France: $9.08 Germany: $11 Canada: $12 Japan: $14.40 US: $98.70 Isn't it time America hold Big Pharma accountable for its extortion?
@rbreich shit, they in on it
Jan 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈🇨🇦@rbreich What's a "unit" here? For insulin, units are a dosing measure. There are typically 100u (or 100 units) per mL. Being in Canada, I know my insulin is expensive -- but it's not CAD1200/mL.
I'm definitely not trying to get on your case about it. If anything, I'm wondering about the source, so I can look there for context on what measure they mean.
Thank you!
Peter Brown@rbreich free in Scotland
Ger@rbreich capitalism is killing Americans.
Brownian_motion@rbreich #insulin #pharma #bigpharma
Humans have been producing insulin commercially for almost 100 years. How can a product with that kind of longevity have such a huge price differential"?
Humans have been producing insulin commercially for almost 100 years. How can a product with that kind of longevity have such a huge price differential"?
Stuart Celarier ❌👑@Brownian_motion @rbreich That's simple: corporate profiteering, pure and simple.
Florida Ted@rbreich Racketeering and Conspiracy (RICO) - it used to be prosecuted
Karl Auerbach@rbreich Don't forget to include those Pharmaceutical Benefits Management (PBM) companies that sit between Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and Dispensing Pharmacies.
PBMs are often a major factor not only in prices but in whether there is insurance coverage and at what level. PBMs indirectly influence physician treatment decisions.
Lynn Keller@karlauerbach @rbreich #bigPharma absolutely the filthiest most evil org in existence. Locked up mainstream medicine which is now a pharmaceutically- driven medical industry failing consumers and imploding on itself
AZcoigreach@rbreich does Australia do mail order to the States?
@rbreich Did I read somewhere that McCarthy family has stock in insulin or owns some company??? Not sure
Southern Leftist@rbreich
WHY DO WE EVEN TRUST OUR HEALTHCARE WITH THESE "PRIVATE COMPANIES"????
UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE IS A *RIGHT*!!
FIGHT THE OLIGARCHIC SYSTEM!!! REBEL AGAINST THE "CEO"S AND "DIRECTORS".
COUP THIS BLATANT VIOLATION OF HUMAN LIBERTIES! ESTABLISH CONSTITUTIONAL UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL! NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES TO IMPLEMENT!!
HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
#health #healthcare #medicare #medicaid #universalhealthcare #humanrights #liberty
Panagiotis (Peter) A. Vretanos@rbreich Canadians discovered the stuff and Banting, Best, McLeod and Collip basically gave the discovery away. Heck, Banting famously said, “Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world.” So the fact that it costs $12 in Canada is shocking to me!
MugsysRapSheet Blog ☑️@rbreich Even the huge price slash to $35 for seniors STILL makes us the most expensive nation on that list.
Richard Bairwell@rbreich For UK, the average price is near zero - or even negative - as being insulin dependent grants you an exemption from the standard NHS prescription charges for any and all medications https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/life-with-diabetes/free-prescriptions
HazelDW@rbreich who's going to make them? Sadly, this is how supply and demand works without government intervention. Who is in who's pocket? Follow the money.
Johann Schmidt@rbreich
Could there be a correlation between a much higher obesity rate in the US population compared to the rest of the first world countries, diabetes and higher insulin prices? "Supply and demand" is an important factor in pricing.
But yes, American pharma is milking the needy. Lack of free or affordable healthcare makes the US market a Wild West scenario for pharma companies.
Could there be a correlation between a much higher obesity rate in the US population compared to the rest of the first world countries, diabetes and higher insulin prices? "Supply and demand" is an important factor in pricing.
But yes, American pharma is milking the needy. Lack of free or affordable healthcare makes the US market a Wild West scenario for pharma companies.
thymine@rbreich the patent for insulin was sold for less than $1, it was intended to be cheap and accessible for anyone who needed it. It's not even expensive or tedious to produce either.
Look where we are now. Blame capitalism, pharma and insurance companies.
Jeff@rbreich they made oxy and fent
fighting@rbreich Big pharma? This one is strictly on 🇺🇸 political system. Pharma just plays along w/in the parameters set by gov’t.
GAIL SHIELDS-MILLER@rbreich Add that to the long list of con jobs that Big Pharma executes on the American people!
Lance@rbreich I completely agree with the the sentiment of this post, but terms and and language are important when discussing medical issues. I use Fiasp, a fast acting newer insulin anolog. The insulin costs $1865 for a 90 day supply. I use about 70 units a day, which, before insurance is about 0.30 a unit. 30 cents a unit sounds cheap, but that’s $20 a day! To live. That’s $620 a month. That’s a mortgage payment on a decent home.
@rbreich Yes, I only paid $45 out of pocket, but that’s because my employer based healthcare, which I pay $2500 a month for, because I’m my own employer, kicked in. It’s a disgraceful system that locks employees into their jobs. Let’s also not forget that insulin was invented to save lives and the patent was sold for $1 by Fred Banting to the University of Toronto in 1921. He’d be rolling in his grave if he saw the current situation in the US.
Hans (Unverified)@rbreich In Spain, if I understand it correctly, users pay 10% of the cost of insulin: €4,24 per package, or €0,00424 per dose.
@rbreich you're going to loose your sh1t when you realize what else they overcharge for!
@rbreich That's quite a lot of money for something so incredibly important to those who's bodies can not produce it naturally.
iSchack@rbreich And don’t forget that in most countries those costs are completely covered by insurance.
@rbreich
All praise the God of money.
All praise the God of money.
Mary Alicia Ziff@rbreich
yes, of course you're right. But it's Americans who are at fault.
Knowing what Republicans will do to them if elected, they tell you so it shouldn't be a shock, they still vote for them.
Pseudo Democrats, Sinema (now Independent) and Manchin included.
We've done this to ourselves. It's time for a truth meter that will hold to account anyone lying about themselves to get elected.
yes, of course you're right. But it's Americans who are at fault.
Knowing what Republicans will do to them if elected, they tell you so it shouldn't be a shock, they still vote for them.
Pseudo Democrats, Sinema (now Independent) and Manchin included.
We've done this to ourselves. It's time for a truth meter that will hold to account anyone lying about themselves to get elected.
Extinction (our fate)@rbreich Honestly the U.S. should have a domestic, public generic drug production arm to go with Medicare and Medicaid. There's no reason the market should be turned to for generics, unless they're willing to produce at prices set by those programs.
@rbreich we shouldn’t be paying more than the rest of the world.
Paul Brownjohn@rbreich
That is maybe not the point - few people in the UK, Germany, France or any of the other countries mentioned have to pay for their insulin. I have to take long acting insulin every day but it costs me precisely nothing as it is paid for by the healthcare system here in Luxembourg. Only in the USA are there large numbers of people who have to pay for their insulin out of their own pockets!
It's an absolutely iniquitous situation that results in 100s or 1000s of people dying every year as they can't afford the insulin to keep them alive!