Progressive Idea of the Week: Lower Drug Prices by Globalizing the Markets

Former House Representative Donna Edwards made the rounds on MSNBC last week calling for resistance to the Republican Senate's version of Health Care Reform. Recently finding out she has M.S., Edwards told of how the medications she needs cost $73,000 in this country whereas if she bought the drugs in Europe, they would only be $7,000 and insurance would still cover the costs. Below is a couple of links of attempts to reduce the cost of drug prices. For all the talk that Republicans have of creating open insurance markets across state lines, may be we should create open prescription drug insurance markets globally as part of N.A.F.T.A. where people can use their insurance to buy cheaper drugs in Mexico and Canada and they can be overnighted to them through Fed Ex, UPS, or Amazon. Their insurance would cover the costs. We live in a global society where this is not a far fetched idea and should be considered.

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/19/trump-can-lower-prescription-drug-prices-now-commentary.html

http://www.southernminn.com/faribault_daily_news/news/article_6d3f416f-2b24-5c90-b2ef-e33da20fb41d.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/to-my-colleagues-in-congress-i-have-ms-dont-make-my-insurance-unaffordable/2017/07/07/bd7bcaea-630b-11e7-8adc-fea80e32bf47_story.html?utm_term=.0db7a3a547eb