This particular problem is due to heavy regulation creating a moat for large pharmaceutical companies to arbitrarily set prices. Republicans generally want to de-regulate, Democrats don't. Republicans generally want the free market to work things out, Democrats generally want the government to work things out.
Each side has been taking turns and as a result, we have had the government prevent the free market from working things out. We want everyone to be able to get healthcare, but we don't (or can't) force anyone to pay for insurance. We effectively incentivize people to not get insurance until they are sick, then we force insurance companies to take them on when they've never paid into the system. Somebody has to pay for all of it, and it ain't the government.