Today I'm back on the Ozempic bandwagon - because it makes a great case study for so many of the threads unravelling in our once cozy world view. This time I look at how some Americans are paying USD10,000 a year (that's more than the median South African annual income) - out of pocket, and taking on second and throw jobs (and credit card debt) - to get their hands on the drug (or it's off label sisters), since their health insurance doesn't cover it.
If the drug works, surely its cheap at the price (even if the price is MORE than a social security payout for many!) for the individual (we know, sadly thin women get paid more and have higher prices on dating markets), for the insurer (people who are not overweight have less weight related chronic and acute conditions) and the state at large (healthier people live longer and are more productive little human resources)?
But even so, if demography is destiny - and to a large extent it is! - who exactly is going to pay for these chronic meds, no matter the ROI or money multiplier, as our population pyramids invert into pagodas in our pay-as-you-go, un fully funded economies?
Lots to chew on here.
Add your thoughts (and the other connected threads I failed to mention) to the comments below.
Read more:
$10,000 a year to be thin : https://archive.ph/j91xI
More on drugs : https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bronwynwilliams_overconsumption-bigpharma-trends-activity-7102283606588289024-glGg
Great - but who pays?