|
|
Article: Payer, beware; Biotech drugs are the latest treatments, but they can cost thousands per dose, and they don't have much of a track record. Employers and insurers ponder where to draw the line.(Special Report: Health Care)(pharmaceutical costs rising in biotechnology industry)
- Article from:
- Crain's Chicago Business
- Article date:
- August 18, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Crain Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: John T. Slania
Just when companies thought their pharmaceutical costs couldn't get much higher, along come biotech drugs. They may be the latest and greatest developments in medicine, but they've created a problem for businesses: whether to provide workers with state-of-the-art medications that haven't proved they're worth the extra expense.
"The business community is beginning to experience sticker shock. We're entering a new era in pharmaceuticals, and everyone is trying to put their arms around it,'' says Todd Swim, principal consulting actuary in the Chicago office of William M. Mercer Inc., a New York-based consultancy.
Some ...