美国国家公共电台 NPR Discounts Aren't Enough to Halt Outrage At High EpiPen Prices

Discounts Aren't Enough to Halt Outrage¹ At High EpiPen Prices

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

If you have a severe allergy² to nuts or bee stings, you probably know what an EpiPen is. It's a plastic tube and needle that gives a dose of epinephrine when you press it against your thigh³. It can be a lifesaver. Mylan, the company that makes it, is under increasing criticism for dramatically raising the price of EpiPens. The list price has gone up more than 500 percent in less than a decade to about $600 for two doses. NPR's Allison Kojak reports Mylan tried to defuse the controversy⁴ today by offering certain customers a discount.

ALISON KODJAK, BYLINE⁵: Mylan's offer would give customers whose insurance doesn't fully⁶ pay for the EpiPen coupons⁷ worth up to $300. But that's not good enough for Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: This step is much more a PR fix than a real remedy. What's needed is robust⁸, real action to lower the prices for everyone, not just a select few.

KODJAK: Blumenthal says the real problem is the company has a near monopoly on epinephrine injectors, so there may be violations⁹ of federal antitrust laws. So Blumenthal and several other senators are asking the Federal Trade Commission to look into it, and they're planning hearings on Capitol Hill.

BLUMENTHAL: At the end of the day, there may need to be stronger legal protections against these types of price gouging¹⁰ and profiteering at the expense of people who need a lifesaving drug where a company has a stranglehold on the market.

KODJAK: Mylan didn't respond to NPR's request for an interview today. The discount coupons may help some customers, says Aaron Carroll, a professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine. But, he says, in the end, consumers pay for the high prices.

AARON CARROLL: It may look better for me and my co-pay, but they're still charging the insurance company a huge amount of money, which of course gets passed right back to me in the form of higher premiums¹¹. So they're not, you know, selling it for cheaper.

KODJAK: Carroll says the public shaming of Mylan that's gone on this week could serve as a warning to other drug makers¹² whose prices are excessive. Alison Kodjak, NPR News, Washington.

1 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

2 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

3 thigh   

n.大腿；股骨

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉伤了，疼得很。
• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。

4 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 coupons   

n.礼券( coupon的名词复数 )；优惠券；订货单；参赛表

参考例句：

• The company gives away free coupons for drinks or other items. 公司为饮料或其它项目发放免费赠券。 来自辞典例句
• Do you have any coupons? 你们有优惠卡吗？ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

8 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

9 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

10 gouging   

n.刨削[槽]v.凿( gouge的现在分词 )；乱要价；（在…中）抠出…；挖出…

参考例句：

• Banks and credit-card companies have been accused of gouging their customers. 银行和信用卡公司被指控欺诈顾客。 来自辞典例句
• If back-gouging is applied, grinding to bright metal is required. 如果采用火焰气刨，则应将其打磨至可见光亮的金属表面。 来自互联网

11 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》