Source: theepochtimes.com · last verified 2026-07-13
Big healthcare companies are using vertical integration to control the entire supply chain, from manufacturing to consumption, and payment. This has led to higher drug prices and reduced patient choice. Companies like UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, and The Cigna Group have acquired pharmacy benefit managers, care providers, and pharmacies, allowing them to set prices and steer patients to their own services.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), these companies have engaged in anti-competitive practices to inflate drug prices, particularly for insulin and other specialty medications. The FTC alleges that they strong-armed manufacturers into raising prices and increasing rebates, which has resulted in higher costs for patients and taxpayers.
Patients are paying more for their medications, and taxpayers are also bearing the burden of increased drug prices. Medicare Part D spending on brand-name drugs has increased by over $100 billion from 2013 to 2023, and overall American spending on prescription drugs has risen nearly 8 percent to $467 billion in 2024.
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