title: Leading employers share strategies for managing promising, high-cost biotech medications.
abstract: Companies and organizations nationwide struggle to find the best way to address the complex, multifaceted challenges involved in providing their employees with access to necessary--and often expensive--medications. The introduction of new bio-derived medications has compounded these challenges. Biotech medications offer a high level of therapeutic value, but do so at a high monthly cost per patient. Employers are developing new and innovative approaches to benefit design in an effort to protect their organization's assets, yet develop a benefit design that provides therapeutic value to all employees. This article outlines strategies that some of the nation's leading employers have incorporated into their benefit programs.
authors.affiliation: Pitney Bowes, Stamford, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hom
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mahoney
authors.forename: Kenneth D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: Wayne M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Lednar
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000191:economics*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003669:Deductibles and Coinsurance; D016527:Drug Costs; D017049:Employer Health Costs; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D016272:Occupational Health; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011788:Quality of Life; D017749:Total Quality Management; D014481:United States