Posted by Michael Wonder on 09 Aug 2020
Ensuring access to emerging COVID-19 treatments through Medicare reimbursement policy
7 August 2020 - Effective pharmaceutical treatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are urgently needed, and there has been an explosion of research into compounds with potential efficacy against the disease.
The highest-profile success to date is Gilead Sciences’ antiviral remdesivir, which received an emergency use authorisation from the US FDA after preliminary data showed that it may speed patients’ time to recovery.
Gilead is just beginning to sell remdesivir commercially. However, Medicare reimbursement policy is likely to pose challenges for hospitals seeking to administer remdesivir and other COVID-19 drugs to patients. Policy makers ought to think critically about addressing these policy barriers.
