Encourage Free Trade of Medications Through the ACA

Impact
BySara MacKimmie

It is no secret that drug costs in the United States are currently rising. Although such restrictions are not heavily enforced, it is illegal for many individuals to import medications from nations such as Canada, where costs are much lower. While the Food and Drug administration may not have examined these medications themselves, nations such as Canada and some European allies do have adequate standards on par with the United States.

By requiring that insurance plans cover imported drugs for conditions that would be covered by the Affordable Care Act and that are also approved by agencies with standards on par with the FDA, cheaper or more effective medications may be available to the American consumer. This free trade solution places less of a burden on the FDA, insurance companies, and many insured individuals (particularly millennials) as a whole, while establishing an even deeper relationship between the United States and its allies.