Unlocking Cell and Gene Therapies: A Budget-Friendly Solution

You might have heard about cell and gene therapies (CGTs), which can treat rare and sometimes deadly diseases. The catch? They're expensive. People are worried that insurance companies might not want to pay for them. If you look at the big picture, the yearly cost of covering these therapies for everyone in the US from 2023 to 2035 would be less than $20 per person. Most of this cost would fall on commercial insurance plans and state Medicaid programs. Insurance companies also have to pay extra fees called reinsurance. We need better policies to make sure people can afford and access these life-saving therapies.Think about it like this: imagine you're in a big group project, and one part of the project is really expensive. You and your group members have to split the cost, but it's not too bad if you spread it out. That's kind of what's happening here. The cost of these therapies is spread out among a lot of people, making it more manageable. We should also consider that these therapies can save lives and reduce healthcare costs in the long run. By investing in them now, we might avoid bigger expenses later.