Reporter's Query on High Drug Prices

We want to hear from readers who are dealing with the high costs of medication, with or without health insurance. Americans pay twice as much for the same prescription drugs compared to the rest of the world, mostly because laws prevent the government from negotiating prices with drug companies.

A breakthrough drug for hepatitis C costs $84,000 for a course of treatment. The price of the pill Daraprim, which treats toxoplasmosis, soared from $13.50 to $750 overnight after a new company bought the rights to the drug. The cost of a year of cancer treatment has risen tenfold since 2000, while the results remain the same.

Some patients have gone bankrupt trying to pay for medical care, and others have opted out of lifesaving but expensive treatments. Contact medical reporter Blythe Bernhard at 314-340-8129 or bbernhard@post-dispatch.com to share your experiences with high drug costs.