Genetics based medicine making treatments more expensive. Who will Pay?

With the growth of genetics based medicine used to treat different diseases, hospitals and health insurers are trying to figure out how to cover the costs.

These gene-based treatments alter or deliver new genes to patients but come with high prices. Two new cell therapy treatments, Novartis AG and Gilead Sciences Inc priced their cell therapy at $475,000 and $373,000 respectively. While the prices of these therapies is are already expensive, administering them can add hundreds of thousands of dollars including the cost of staying in the hospitals and other services.

Currently hospitals are not making money as payment systems aren't set up to cover treatments combining both infusion of drugs and episodes of hospital care. Because payment systems have not been set up for these new treatments, few patients have been able to receive them.


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