The Cost of the Cost of Care

A 15 percent tariff on European meds took effect July 30, 2025. Emergency powers meant for national security got pulled into a fight over trade. The result: higher prices for life-saving drugs.

Europe supplies 60 percent of US drug imports, about $127 billion a year. These are not niche products. Ozempic, Wegovy, Humira, Stelara, Keytruda, Botox, Viagra — staples for millions. The ripple effect hits fast.

Diabetic patients skipping insulin. Cancer patients rationing treatment. Parents unable to afford medication for their kids.

Industry leaders warned this move would backfire. The projected hit to US health systems runs between $13 and $19 billion annually. Patients shoulder that cost. Drug companies will adjust and survive. Hospitals will shift budgets. Regular people will decide between groceries and prescriptions.

The bigger failure runs deeper than a single tariff. The US has no universal drug pricing system. In most developed nations, governments negotiate directly with manufacturers. Here, political maneuvering dictates the cost of staying alive.

Call your representatives. Tell them to protect drug access and build a system that prevents policy decisions from becoming medical crises. The stakes are too high for partisanship.

SOURCE ➡️ https://hartmannreport.com/p/even-big-pharma-begged-him-not-to-f5d