A new study shows that US employers are bracing for an increase in healthcare expenses in 2018 as costs of new #pharmaceuticals to treat cancer, MS, and hepatitis C are expected to rise more than 7 percent, as reported by the New York Times.
Approximately 40-50 new specialty drugs are readying to hit the market each year in the next 5 years, which is expected to increase spending on #pharmaceuticals by $25 billion annually.
The authors attribute the problem primarily to the introduction of new specialty drugs, as there are 2,320 drugs in active development, according to the study.
Preliminary survey findings suggest that spending on specialty drugs had risen by about 15 percent compared with prices that were factored into 2017 health plans. Specialty drugs, therefore, continue to push up the overall costs of prescription drugs.
Read the full article here: http://nyti.ms/2xevaws