Some of the most powerful new medicines pose a host of challenges for drug companies trying to copy and sell similar versions on the cheap. Can those companies find a sustainable path forward, or will patients get left stuck paying exorbitant prices?
Cost of Care
Posted inCost of Care
3 Big Threats to the Cheap, Effective Medicines That Underpin U.S. Health Care
The U.S. has relied on cheap, effective generic drugs for 40 years. Now that promise is under threat.
Posted inCost of Care
Race to the Bottom: Hard Bargain
America pays less, on average, than any other major country for our generic drugs. But selling essential medicines at such low prices comes with hidden costs — from quality problems to frequent shortages.
Posted inCost of Care
Race to the Bottom: Boom Times
Forty years ago this month, President Ronald Reagan signed groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation that gave birth to a new drug industry. This week, we get an inside look at the choices made back then that help explain the wild success and also the troubles we see today with generic medicines.
Posted inMental Health
The Fifth Branch: The Last Line of Care
We explore how Durham grapples with connecting people to long-term care and support, and where the city draws the line between crisis response and social services.
Posted inCost of Care
Is Private Equity Ruining Health Care? It’s Complicated
While stories of private equity firms running amok in health care are easy to find, new research paints a more nuanced picture.
Posted inCost of Care
The Hunt for Lasting Fixes to America’s Medical Debt Crisis
A major new study throws cold water on a popular approach to relieving medical debt, but the research also reveals a promising path forward.
Posted inCost of Care
How Do You Help Patients Who Show Up in the ER 100 Times a Year?
Health care leaders share what they’ve learned from two decades of trying to keep this group of costly, complicated patients out of the hospital.
Posted inCost of Care
Surprise! Plans To Resolve High Medical Bills Are Still a Mess
Patients are now mostly protected from surprise bills, but doctors and insurers are still fighting over prices.
Posted inCost of Care
Sen. Bill Cassidy Wrestles with a $500 Billion Health Care Problem
Tradeoffs talks with Sen. Bill Cassidy about a new bipartisan effort to improve care for some of the country’s poorest, sickest patients.