Abstract
The scientific literature, including several papers published in the IJHPR, has raised the issue of the spiraling cost of cancer treatment, including that of cancer drugs and other technologies such as gene and cell therapies. In this perspective, we review three criteria for insurability and show that they may not be met.First, the uncertain trends in the cost of innovative pharmaceutical and other cancer technologies make the maximum possible loss per event very difficult to predict and to manage in terms of insurer solvency. Second, the uncertainty of the price, the period that a drug or other cancer care technology will be administered and the number of individuals that will need the technology makes it difficult to predict future insurance premiums and whether they will be affordable to the target population. Third, public coverage needs to be consistent with societal values. However, pressure to limit public coverage will gradually increase as the possibilities of innovative pharmaceutical cancer technologies expand, thus transferring the burden onto commercial insurance. This is a phenomenon that is virtually impossible to predict accurately, but which will certainly undermine the status of health as a social good.We conclude that the financial risk arising from the use of innovative pharmaceutical cancer technologies fails to meet the aforementioned criteria, thus raising questions as to the sustainability of commercial insurance for cancer treatment and suggesting the need for the state to take greater responsibility for covering this financial risk in the future.
Highlights
The scientific literature, including several papers published in the IJHPR, has raised the issue of the spiraling cost of cancer treatment, including that of cancer drugs and other technologies such as gene and cell therapies
We examine whether the coverage of innovative pharmaceutical cancer technologies is insurable according to three of the criteria
Summary and conclusion Following Lomnicky et al [4] and Goldstein et al [5], who raise the issue of growing expenditure on cancer treatment, including the cost of cancer drugs and other cancer care therapies, we claim that the financial risk arising from the use of innovative pharmaceutical cancer technologies fails to meet some of the insurable risk criteria, raising questions as to the sustainability of commercial insurance for this coverage
Summary
The scientific literature, including several papers published in the IJHPR, has raised the issue of the spiraling cost of cancer treatment, including that of cancer drugs and other technologies such as gene and cell therapies. Another important role is to complement the basic insurance services by providing excluded benefits, such as innovative pharmaceutical cancer technologies. The insurability of innovative pharmaceutical cancer technologies we discuss concerns regarding the ability of VHI policies to cover the cost of innovative pharmaceutical cancer drugs and other cancer care technologies not included in the basic health package.
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