Why Canada Won't Be Our Pharmacy

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So far the drug companies' efforts haven't had much effect. Sales by Canadian online pharmacies have grown about 20% this year, and Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota are continuing their reimportation programs. "Clearly this is not going to solve the health-care crisis," says Melanie Fonder, spokeswoman for Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.

What's the alternative? Kaiser's Altman favors allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies for discounts, while academic Reinhardt suggests a "green card" that would give the uninsured prescription drugs at the same price as that of an average health plan. A similar card offered by the state of Michigan gives a drug discount of 5% to 20%. In the first year, 200,000 of that state's 1 million uninsured are expected to use it; 10,000 signed up in the first 30 days. Michigan might have 721 miles of border with Canada, but in the end, crossing it wasn't the answer.