The emergence of various tools for assessing value or, more to the point, drug costs—both direct and indirect—by leaders within the oncology and hematology community is highly commendable. Those of us on the managed care side of healthcare look forward to practical and meaningful tools in helping patients, providers, employers, and health plans navigate through the complexity of oncology drug therapy and drive better informed decision-making.
The pros of these physician-led initiatives are that we are using leading experts in their chosen field as a basis for coverage decisions and for driving meaningful clinical and financial choices.
The cons are whether these tools will gain widespread recognition and adoption by prescribers, and whether they can keep up with the rapid and ongoing changes that are occurring in the marketplace. Based on these early models, and on organizational commitments, I would say that for now, the pros far outweigh the cons.
