HTA reform delays as election nears

The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Review Implementation Advisory Group (IAG), convened on the 10th of April for its first face to face meeting since the release of the final report by Federal Health Minister Mark Buter last September. Yet, more than 2.5 years after the HTA Review commenced and six months since its recommendations landed, Australians are still waiting for the government willing to act.

Crohn’s and Colitis Australia CEO, Leanne Raven, told Health Industry Hub, “One of our members recently told us he is incurring unaffordable medicine costs because he needs double dosing of a PBS medicine to keep him in remission for the first time in the last 4 years.

As a young person in his twenties, he is having to pay $1300 dollars for the extra dose per month. How can he afford to find $15,600 per annum to remain in remission and avoid flares leading to emergency department presentations and hospitalisations?”

You can read the full piece here (noting it’s only available to subscribers): Patient advocacy groups demand end to HTA reform delays as election nears – Health Industry Hub