[LorenPechtel]

Yes, but there is a major gotcha in fixing this.

It "costs" much less--because in reality we end up footing the R&D bill. The drug companies tolerate sales to the UHC countries so long as it's above their marginal cost. If US customers were also paying $31 for that Sofosbuvir there's no way the company would recoup costs and they would not develop it.

Fixing this will cause big shakeups in the universal coverage systems and thus big political shakeups. It should be done, but gradually.

I will also say the comparison is false--my wife is on Atorvastatin, it's even less than what you are quoting for Australia. You're comparing the brand name with the generic.