Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
Typically, we look at how changes in cost sharing affect patient demand. However, rules regarding patient cost sharing also influence life sciences firms’ decisions about what price they should use for their products. A paper by Herr and Suppliet (2017) looks at the effect of changing cost-sharing rules in Germany in their latest paper. The…
The introduction of new treatment technologies typically occurs where there is a large market. A lot of innovations are developed to treat disease that affect a large number of people in the developed world because the financial returns are large. It is less likely to observe innovation in the treatment of rare diseases or diseases…
A number of studies have claimed that increased health expenditures may result in no better, or even worse outcomes. For instance, a paper by Fisher et al. (2003) looking at patients with acute myocardial infarction, colorectal cancer, or hip fracture finds that “Quality of care in higher-spending regions was no better on most measures and…
The United Kingdom’s National Health Services provides universal health coverage at not cost to patients. On the other hand, in the U.S. not all people have insurance, and further insurance can be provided by public entities (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid), private and employer-provided health insurance, and other sources. Whereas the NHS system is highly centralized, the U.S.…
That is the claim made by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). Lisa Anson, who took over as ABPI president last week, told The Times that the financial squeeze on the NHS threatened the whole of Britain’s £30 billion life sciences sector as firms would reconsider working in the UK. ABPI asked for the…
I’m finishing my time in the UK today and head back home tomorrow. The British Society for Rheumatology 2017 conference was interesting, on the news the key headlines were pay for National Health Service employees, nurses in particular. Due to budget shortfalls, the NHS froze nurse pay between 2010 and 2012. Beginning in 2012, pay raises resumed…
Being sick in the United Kingdom has advantages and disadvantages. Supporters will cite that out-of-pocket costs are generally low, coverage is universal, and the price of health care to the government is lower. One question is, what is the quality of care received? Critics cite that access to cutting edge, innovative treatments is often restricted or…
In the U.S. physician fees are largely set through regulation or negotiation with insurers. For physicians accepting Medicare or Medicaid patients, fees are set by government entities (i.e., the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for Medicare reimbursement for the former and state Medicaid agencies for the latter). Rates for physicians accepting patients with private…
This is the question asked by a study conducted by Brogen et al. (2017). To see how payers use patient reported outcomes (PRO) in oncology, the authors conducted a literatures search, and searched the websites of the following health technology assessment bodies: Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in Australia, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies…
How do Euroepan countries reimburse for pharmaceuticals? A paper by Pauwels et al. (2014) provides an nice summary. I review that article today. With the exception of Germany, most countries had a national and/or regional drug budget. Germany is also unique in that only Germany and the UK allow for free pricing, whereas other countries…