“The newest generation of drugs: Who can afford them?”
Written by Ann Pietrangelo on August 17th, 2008 in Health Care Policy, In The News, Linked Articles.
Patients with chronic illnesses, who could need the drug for years, are getting hit hardest by the change, says Dan Mendelson, president of Avalere Health, a national health-policy analysis firm.
“It gets to the fundamental question of ‘What is insurance?’ ” he said.
As advances in medicine become ever more costly, insurance that requires heavy cost-sharing from patients for pricey drugs is likely a “microcosm of medicine’s future,” predicts a commentary in a recent New England Journal of Medicine.
The authors warn: “At some point in our lives, we may all join that small pool of users of high-cost care.”
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August 17th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Thank you Mandy,
Another excellent article which sheds more light on the “problem.” Every time I read the words – “more skin in the game” – my blood pressure climbs just a little.
I enjoyed her wide selection of quotes from organizations which deserve looking into now. The AHIP stance cracks me up actually – protect the other 1000 employees from the high costs. Ha!!
Anyway, thanks.