> Then everyone should pay. For some reason, only we do. As far as the crazy-high prices.

Who are the “we” and who are the “they” in your telling?

The US.

The rest of the world. Including many countries host to major drug companies.

Somehow I don’t think they’ll let those companies’ R&D departments starve if the US stops paying $700 for things that cost other countries $120, or what have you.

I remember reading that part of the problem is that Medicare/Medicaid is not allowed to actually negotiate prices with drug companies but must pay the list price. That seems ridiculous and a legally sanctioned way to basically milk the government and co-insurance payers is money. It appears to have been addressed by the Biden administration though: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/10/22/biden-harris-admin...