Why do Americans often pay far more for the same prescription drugs than people in other wealthy countries?

In this episode of Reimagine Healthcare, Noah Volz breaks down one of the most distorted parts of the American healthcare system: prescription drug pricing.

The episode starts with a simple image: a tube of toothpaste with both ends open. Countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France use national purchasing power, price regulation, or formal negotiation to push drug prices down. They clamp one end of the tube. The United States mostly does not. So when manufacturers look for the market that can absorb the highest prices, the pressure often comes out here.

That means drug pricing is not just a national policy issue. It shows up in your deductible, your employer’s renewal notice, your pharma ...