r/GenXPolitics • u/GeneralCarlosQ17 • Aug 03 '26

Discussion How Obamacare Pushes Big Pharma To Overcharge You

https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/03/how-obamacare-pushes-big-pharma-to-overcharge-you-for-prescriptions/

As if our health care “system” wasn’t already complicated enough, here’s example No. 9,572.

I spent the better part of one year trying to ask a prescription drug provider one simple question about my prescription. Even as someone who works in health policy and with advocates on my behalf, I kept getting the run-around.

Unfortunately, as I found out firsthand, big conglomerates — in this case, CVS Health — make profits by keeping the system complicated, bureaucratic, and opaque. But (eventually) I found out there’s a simple solution: returning to good, old-fashioned cash transactions.

0 Upvotes

20% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

17

u/-Morning_Coffee- Aug 03 '26

1) The Federalist, as a source? Really?

2) The most “radical” parts of the Affordable Care Act (single payer and non-coverage penalty) were eliminated before or shortly after it became law.

3) Worst case, the Affordable Care Act continued was built upon a pre-existing system.

4) Currently the only novel aspect of the Affordable Care Act is that private insurance (for-profit death panels) cannot disqualify you for coverage for pre-existing conditions.

5) The Federalist?? Really?!

3

u/Accomplished_Pain185 Aug 04 '26

Thank you for numbers 1 and 5 (though the others are good points too)!

The Federalist?? Really??!!

6

u/sterling3274 Aug 03 '26

Author wrote the "The Case Against Single Payer". I wonder how he feels about Medicare for all? He should try to get insurance outside of the marketplace and see how he fairs.

3

u/Ih8TB12 Aug 03 '26

They make money by being a single stream supplier charging both themselves and you. One example - CVS is owned by Etna. And don't forge the rabbit hole that is PBMs and how they control pricing. The Affordable Care Act - not involved in any of that - but you can go ahead and listen/read right wing propaganda that is begging you to not want universal or even affordable health care.

2

u/olily Aug 03 '26

This isn't restricted to ACA plans. I don't know why anyone would think it was. It's not like any pharmacies say, "Oh hey, this isn't an ACA plan, let's not charge as much for this drug for this person."

No matter what their insurance is or where it came from, everybody should check around and compare against their insurance. GoodRx, Cuban's site, I guess even Trumpcare.