China's expensive healthcare system is causing social
tension and unrest among millions of common people who cannot afford basic
treatment. The average cost of a hospital visit in China is roughly the same as
the average monthly income. Incidents such as beatings, kidnappings, and even
murders have escalated and reached over 17,000 in 2010. China attempted to make
treatments more affordable by placing a ban on hospitals that mark up the cost
drugs. However, most people believe further action is required. Drug makers and
drug distributors are highly vested within the system and often depend on the
taxes made from the drug sales. Distributors often deal with one hospital and
encourage doctors to prescribe their medicine. When doctors promote the sale of
the drug, the doctor is paid by the drug company. Efforts to reduce the number
of drug distributors has not proved successful as of yet. Another idea the
government has is setting a floor and ceiling prices for drug companies.
Setting these restrictions will allow the best and most trusted drugs to
prevail. Sadly, many believe that hospitals will find other ways to raise costs
and still charge excessively.
View Article Here Brittany Kancauski
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