06/22/2026
One of the concerns I often hear from my patients is the high cost of medications that increase yearly while they also pay more and more for their family's health insurance premiums and deductibles.
The next statement invariably is more of a question, "why do people in other countries pay LESS than Americans for the SAME medications?" It is a complex answer, and while the immediate sentiment for many is "level the playing field" by imposing price controls, the reality is doing so may limit both medical innovation and access to the multitude of pharmaceuticals available to Americans that are often not available abroad.
The real issue is insurance companies and their pharmacy benefit managers that seek to maximize profits through control of distribution channels and formularies (lists of approved and preferred drugs) that often prioritize the bottom line rather than the best treatment for the patient's particular conditions. If we want to bring down costs and improve patient care and outcomes, we need to push insurance companies and their PBMs to live up to their obligations to their members. Price controls are not the answer, accountability is. Senator Chuck Schumer, Congressman Nick LaLota , Rep. Tom Suozzi, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, Rep. Laura Gillen U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Rep. Claudia Tenney
Proponents of price controls are wagering that savings on medicines will outweigh the lost benefits. The opposite is true.
