Better Outcomes Tracking: A First Step In Improving Access To New Treatments

Eric NormanArticles, FoCUS, Publications

New article in Health Affairs Forefront

Transformative new pharmaceutical treatments hold the promise of changing patients’ lives by slowing and curing disease, improving well-being, and advancing quality of life. Yet, as treatments come to the market, they highlight tensions within our system. On one hand, new treatments must be affordable for patients to access them. On the other hand, medical innovation requires continued investment and the promise of future financial returns for investors. That these two factors sometimes come into conflict is not a new idea. It has long been the subject of debate on Capitol Hill, among policy makers, and across private insurers. But if we could better understand the dynamic balance between these forces, perhaps we could develop more effective tools for advancing both goals—access and innovation.

Read the article at healthaffairs.org