I have to wonder if this results in some kind of blackmarket trade for cancer drugs or other treatments that don't fall into the street drugs category. If it does, I am ignorant to it, likely because I am just beginning to understand (in my 40's, mind you) that the US health care system is so remarkably broken, my asthma treatments are governed not by my doctor, but whatever insurance my employer decides to carry. Lots of excellent replies here shedding some light on micro/macro ecenomics of the whole thing, but in a scary "how did it get like this" way.