Making Next-Gen Sequencing Accessible to Patients

September 14, 2022

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is essential for advances in individualized medicine, but getting it to patients requires convincing insurers to pay for the technique. For this goal, care must be taken to ensure an accurate value-assessment process. In a new article in Value and Outcomes Spotlight, Lieven J.P. Annemans, PhD, discusses the barriers patients face accessing NGS and proposes a plan of action to reduce them.

According to , “In light of the above considerations and the substantial price of the related therapies, the assessment for reimbursement of NGS and especially those related therapies requires evidence on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. This means that although NGS clearly represents a new paradigm, evidence about the benefits to patients and society is still required. The authors of the Plan of Action admittedly point to this as one of the key issues with NGS-based therapies: there is still a lack of studies showing the benefits in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and therefore, the knowledge about their cost- effectiveness is rather scarce. Although it could be argued that the technology is likely to be cost-effective because a lot of money can be saved by avoiding ineffective treatment, the reality might be different, and this needs to be assessed.”

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