Drugmakers boost generic drug prices

A big increase in generic drug prices is forcing some patients to go without, reports CBS Boston. Meanwhile, U.S. News & World Report teases out some of the reasons for the slowdown in health care costs.

CBS Boston: Generic Drug Prices On The Rise
Generic drugs are the workhorses of health care. They are safe, effective, and affordable and they treat everything from migraines to life-threatening illnesses. But in the past few years, pharmacists and their patients have noticed a significant cost increase in some medicines. The prices are so high in some cases that patients are choosing to go without (Marshall, 9/26). 

U.S. News & World Report: What's Behind the Slowdown In Health Care Costs
A flood of 77 million people from the baby boomer generation have been turning 65, the age of Medicare eligibility, since 2011. These younger enrollees have been a leading factor driving down the rate at which health care spending is increasing, because the younger boomers tend to be healthier than older enrollees and therefore use fewer medical services. While a key factor, that's not the only story in a compelling narrative that has seen the rate of growth in health care spending slow down so dramatically and unexpectedly during the past few years that budget wonks in Washington are having a hard time keeping up (Leonard, 9/26).