There are economies of scale. You have about 8.5 million people. This is less than the number of customers of a single insurer in the US (Kaiser Permanente).
Also, medical innovations are not developed in Austria. The rest of the world relies on the US to do it and it isn’t cheap. Like a high-tech product, it doesn’t even get developed without being tested and sold at a high price to a few users. Eventually the price goes down.
And let me tell you, new drug development is expensive.
Hey you really cared to look at the population numbers!
And did some research! I´m really very impressed.
So bump for a later read! (because “we” have 01:40 am here and
today i´m really drunk ;-)
I will answer you tommorow.
Have a nice day and please excuse a drunk european “cousin” ;-)