alt Hacker News> I would think that americans would be much more vigilant about what medication they take
This is why I always check to make sure it's fiscally responsible before I start chemotherapy, or before buying that emergency inhaler for asthma, or before accepting paralytics and anesthesia when undergoing surgery. How fortunate that in America diabetics have the freedom to die rather than take overpriced insulin. Let the free market decide which child with leukemia deserves a bone marrow transplant and which deserves a casket! That's a much more responsible market than just having everybody chip in a small amount so that nobody needs to worry about the cost of the medications they need to live. Sure, in America millions will die or be bankrupted by healthcare costs every year, but that's better than spending a single $ from your own wallet if even a tiny fraction of it might help pay for someone else's medications right?
I mean you're joking but there are maybe ~20 brands who produce and sell inhalers. Maybe I need the inhaler but I also have a certain amount of choice, and presumably some are more expensive than others. Insulin is a famous example, because you can buy a vial for ~$30 or a nicer one for $300. They all effectively do the same thing but there is a quality difference between them, usually in regards to release time and how often you'd have to take it.
There are some market pressures in healthcare when multiple companies can compete, although it's so heavily regulated it can be hard to see the market pressures in practice. Consumers often do have some amount of choice though