Medical prices and Medicare.

[llowry61]

It's not the answer, but it will be the answer we get.

It is common for the cash price for a procedure to be 10x the negotiated rate for the insurance company. They write off the difference as a loss, even though they were never going to get it. What other industry gets to cook the books like that?

A big problem with drug prices is the U.S. customer is forced to subsidize the entire rest of the world. Every other 1st world nation has socialized health care and sets the prices at which they are forced to sell even if at a loss. All of their development costs and profits are on the backs of the U.S.

Now, now, John the Americans have pillaged the world of their resources, sequestered all of the wealth within our borders and ruined the climate. It is our responsibility to fix it so just pay the bills and pipe down like a good citizen.