Upside Down Incentives: What's Driving Up Drug Prices?

In this episode of 'Rare Candor,' the author tackles the colossal mess of medication costs, focusing on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). Frustration seeps through as the script dissects how PBMs drive up drug prices through lack of transparency and deceptive practices. The author unpacks the Byzantine mechanisms behind list prices and the hidden rebates that enrich everyone but the patient. Through personal anecdotes and policy insights, the discussion highlights the urgent need for legislative change to cap out-of-pocket costs and shift PBMs to a fee-for-service model. It’s a call to rally against a profit-driven system that exploits the sick for corporate gain.