This always baffles me.

There’s so much rampant profiteering in the US healthcare system it’s unbelievable. Other countries look at it from afar in utter disbelief. I’m glad I had no serious health problems when I lived there 25 years ago (and I had health insurance via my employer).

In the UK prescriptions are effectively capped at about USD125 per year:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/nhs-pr...

I recently collected 4 prescriptions from my local pharmacy (3 for temporary conditions, the other one was ADHD meds which I’ll be on for the foreseeable future) and the pharmacy didn’t even want to see proof of my prepayment certificate, I just said I had one and they ticked the relevant box and handed me the prescriptions.

(The implication is that the NHS will check this and come after me if I was lying.)

Don’t get me wrong, there’s lots wrong with the UK healthcare system but the access to regular medication has very few barriers.