Pharmaceutical companies have an average profit margin of about 17%.  That&#x27;s about the highest by industry in the world.  I think it&#x27;s more accurate to say that America subsidises the profit margins of pharmaceutical companies.<p>Important to note is that that profit margin is after taking into account that pharmaceutical companies spend more on advertising than they do on research.  How about we just take out the profit margin, take out the advertising and give the money directly to universities who already do a lot of the research and then make the results freely available?  That way US citizens on HN will still be able to feel superior about subsidising the healthcare of the &#x27;entire world&#x27; and everyone will have access to low cost generics.