A Boring Health Care Research Post

As the epidemic has receded I am finding additional topics for the blog and returning to its health care roots.  Some of this may seem very dry, but since all of us are impacted by health, health care and the health care system, hopefully you will find some of this enlightening and relevant to your daily lives.  This study from Health Affairs focused on the arcane way some drugs are paid for, primarily infusions for cancer chemotherapy.  These are phenomenally expensive drugs–tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for a course of treatment.  The amount of drug that a person needs for effective treatment is related to their weight, but almost always people all get the same dose, regardless of their weight.  The drug companies love this because of course, they are selling more of the drug and these very, very high prices.  This study suggests that the health system could save hundreds of millions of dollars by changing to a weight-based dosing and purchasing method.  This would save patients money as well, as they typically pay part of the bill.  This is just one example of sort of small changes that can make a difference in how much money our country spends on health care.   (HA Article)