Enabling Patient Access to Digital Therapeutics – The Optimal Approach?

Speaker(s)

Moderator: Monica Martin De Bustamante, AB, BE, Trinity Life Sciences, Waltham , MA, USA
Panelists: Lisa Marsch, PhD, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, USA; Benjamin W Parcher, PharmD, MS, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Odessa, FL, USA; Fulton Velez, MD, MBA, Payer and Evidence Development Perspective, Boston, MA, USA

ISSUE:

Current payer coverage for the available digital therapeutics has been significantly different across markets; some EU markets have developed separate evaluation and reimbursement programs, while US payers have relied on employer preference. Not only is the framework for coverage uncertain, but the value that digital therapeutics would have on healthcare resource utilization and long-term patient outcomes also remains uncertain. These challenges have led to limited covered patient access to digital therapeutics, and substantial concerns from digital therapeutics manufacturers on the financial burden borne by patients.

OVERVIEW:

The panel will bring together views from different stakeholders directly involved in Digital Therapeutics, researchers, manufacturers, and payers. Key questions are:

  • What is the responsibility of an insurer vs. the manufacturer vs. the patient?
  • Should all digital therapeutics be covered?
  • How should insurers assess the value attribution of a digital therapeutic?
  • What evidence is required to make an informed coverage decision?
The roles of the different stakeholders would entail:

Dr. Marsch will share her experience conducting clinical trials with digital health technologies and will emphasize the need for a balance between the different players in the field, including the importance of patient perspective and their buy-in to the success of digital therapeutics.

Mr. Parcher will present details around the development and testing processes for digital therapeutics from a manufacturer perspective, justifying the position that moving forward systems and payers should reward innovation and lower financial risk for the manufacturer.

Dr. Velez will represent the payer perspective, highlighting the current and future evidence development and reimbursement models for digital therapeutics in the US market, and where the market will head as digital therapeutics become available for larger indications.

Each expert will have 7.5 minutes for their presentation. After the expert’s opinions have been presented, the audience will have 10 minutes for a Q&A session.

Code

202

Topic

Medical Technologies