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1. lnxw48a1 (lnxw48a1@nu.federati.net)'s status on Thursday, 09-Mar-2023 15:21:28 EST lnxw48a1
   > Why are drug prices so high?
   
   Because of our insurance system. Sure, there are research costs, but it is really about pockets of concentrated market power: medical insurance companies, pharmaceuticals companies, medical equipment companies, medical providers, each of which takes a huge chunk from patients / insurees.
   
   > It's the gubbamint flooding in money
   
   You'd think so, but Medicare & Medicaid / MediCal often have lower reimbursement rates than private insurers.
   1. GeniusMusing (geniusmusing@nu.federati.net)'s status on Thursday, 09-Mar-2023 19:38:13 EST GeniusMusing

      in reply to
      @lnxw48a1
      One other thing that people forget/don't know is that most everything medical related can be traced back to the raw materials and everybody that was involved along the way.
      
      A standard LHR (Lot History Record) from former $EMPLOYER for a "simple" part run of 100 parts could be 50-60 pages between all the tracking of "raw" materials (materials purchased for the product), incoming inspection reports for raw materials, who did what in the process's to get to the final part, who did in process inspections and who did final inspections, usually a sterilization report and final packaging inspection report, labeling report and final quality sign off. This is all before the product gets sent to the customer or distributor with a copy included as well as a pdf emailed. I have seen LHR's get up to 100-200 mb in size as a pdf for large lots of complex parts.
      
      I am not saying this is an excuse for high prices but the $8 aspirin at the hospital has a long paper/history trail that is required to be kept.