News Release
Insulin Prices Are Dramatically Higher in the United States Than in Other Countries
Oct 6, 2020
Insulin prices have increased dramatically over the past decade in the United States. The authors compared international prices for insulins using a price index approach. They describe the shares of volume and sales for all insulins and different categories of insulin in the United States and 32 comparison countries in 2018.
Results from a Price Index Analysis
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Insulin prices have increased dramatically over the past decade in the United States. In this report, the authors compare international prices for insulins using a price index approach. They describe the shares of volume and sales for all insulins and different categories of insulin (including insulin type and timing characteristics) in the United States and 32 comparison Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in 2018. For the market basket of insulins sold in both the United States and comparison countries, the authors report ratios of U.S. insulin prices to insulin prices in other countries. They found that manufacturer prices in the United States were considerably higher (often five to ten times higher) than those in other OECD countries for all insulins combined and for different types of insulin. Although the authors focused their analysis on manufacturer prices rather than on net prices after potential rebates, the analysis suggests that U.S. insulin prices would still have been considerably higher — about four times higher — than those in other countries even when accounting for potential rebates.
Chapter One
Background and Analysis
Chapter Two
Results
Chapter Three
Summary of Findings
Appendix
Exhibits
This research was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and conducted by the Payment, Cost, and Coverage Program in RAND Health Care.
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