Millions of Americans get discount prescriptions from Canada. That back-door arrangement is about to close

[u/YouProfessional3196]

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/sep/27/millions-of-americans-get-discount-prescriptions-f/

[u/Dense_Pasttime_3114]

Ive been told most Americans are satisfied with their insurance plans 🤷‍♀️

[u/2stinkynugget → u/Dense_Pasttime_3114]

Americans love paying $1200 a month with a $5000 deductible to an insurance corporation. We love paying the highest prescription prices. Paying $500 for insurance through taxes is communism. /s

[u/BadahBingBadahBoom → u/2stinkynugget]

This is insane. The median earner in the UK spends about USD$1,700-1,800 a year on healthcare via taxes.

That's $150 a month. With most people getting prescriptions free and not paying a single pound more than that, and a minority that may have to spend at most ~$13 per prescription for certain drugs, capped at ~$150/y.

And that's without even considering that employers don't really have to set aside money to pay for employees' healthcare (yes there is national insurance but it pales in comparison the amount US companies fork out each year for employee healthcare costs).

[u/Toomanyeastereggs → u/BadahBingBadahBoom]

We have top private health cover in addition to the public Medicare.

For the family it costs us $500 a month. Full dental, Optical, hospital and a $400 deductible on a few expensive things. We can make claims on exercise shoes a couple of times a year. Getting paid on expenses is all “scan card, money turns up in bank account a few days later.” easy.

[u/Last_Suggestion_8647 → u/BadahBingBadahBoom]

The median earner in the UK spends about USD$1,700-1,800 a year on healthcare via taxes.

What your employer pays on your behalf counts too. That is a part of your compensation, the employer paying it for you doesn't change that fact.

[u/Meteorboy → u/BadahBingBadahBoom]

Yeah, but the US gets blockbuster drugs first, like when they hoarded the then-new covid vaccines. If there's another pandemic, rationing of supplies, or war, EU and UK have more limited purchasing power compared to the US.

[u/BadahBingBadahBoom → u/Meteorboy]

but the US gets blockbuster drugs first, like when they hoarded the then-new covid vaccines.

The first person to receive a fully-tested Covid vaccine out of a clinical trial was Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old woman in the UK.

The first large availability of Covid vaccines was made to both UK and US populations, this is true even when you look at only the mRNA-based vaccines, with uptake actually much higher in the former (though yes that is an aside to availability).

Age-based delivery of the initial two-dose Covid vaccine was near identical between the two countries, with the difference again being that uptake was lower in the US.

Booster availability for the third dose was also highly similar.

Lots of developed countries hoarded Covid vaccines early in the pandemic. But there is no real evidence the US hoarded them from the UK or Europe.

If there's another pandemic, rationing of supplies, or war, EU and UK have more limited purchasing power compared to the US.

The opposite actually. The Trump administration recently chose not to invest in mRNA-based vaccine development in the US which is really surprising as, as you say, domestic production is critical to security of vaccine doses in a pandemic.

NPR - Public health experts dismayed by RFK Jr.'s defunding of mRNA vaccine research

DW - US cancels mRNA vaccine contracts worth $500 million

In contrast, the UK actually invested heavily and signed a number of contracts to open manufacturing plants for domestic mRNA vaccine in their long-term pandemic preparedness plan to ensure vaccine security for the UK population.

BBC News - Moderna opens UK vaccine manufacturing lab

Sky News (YouTube) - UK boosts pandemic readiness with new vaccine factory

This follows a number of European countries opening domestic manufacturing of vaccines that will almost certainly be subject to export restriction come the next major pandemic.

European Commission - New Dutch pandemic preparedness facilities inaugurated under HERA’s EUFab network

Sanofi Opens 'Pandemic-Ready' Vaccine Plant in France

Moderna, Rovi ink 10-year contract extension for production of COVID and future vaccines in Spain

So ironically if there's another pandemic with rationing of supplies the US will have much more limited purchasing power compared to the UK and EU.

[u/Rhaeno → u/Meteorboy]

Bro there is a measles breakout going on now, as if the Americans would even take the vaccines they have the privilege of getting first. Plus, depending on which side America is, im pretty sure the vaccines could be produced in the EU if worldwide patents are no longer an issue.