As gene therapies emerge as genuine curative options, three interconnected challenges now determine whether patients will benefit from these breakthroughs or remain excluded by financial barriers.
First, traditional insurance models fundamentally cannot absorb $2 million upfront costs designed for single treatments rather than recurring premiums and deductibles. Second, payment infrastructure has not evolved alongside medical innovation—healthcare finance was architected for a different era of medicine. Third, without urgent policy intervention, access inequality will deepen, creating a scenario where breakthrough treatments reinforce rather than reduce global health disparities.
Policymakers, healthcare administrators, and industry stakeholders must prioritize infrastructure development alongside pharmaceutical innovation. Options include outcomes-based payment models, dedicated financing vehicles, and international collaboration frameworks. The question is no longer whether we can cure disease, but whether we can afford to deliver cures equitably.
Read the full article on GMJ Newsroom.
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