Daniel J. Klein on the Government's Role in Expanding Patient Access to Medications

Based on past efforts like the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and projected future trends, some level of government intervention will be needed to help the healthcare market offer patients access and choice at an affordable price, explained Daniel J. Klein, president and CEO of the Patient Access Network Foundation.

Transcript (slightly modified)

How can patient access to medications be improved? Is government intervention needed or is there another way?

Government intervention in terms of access to care has been necessary from the point of view of expanding insurance coverage. I don’t think without government intervention we would have been able to expand insurance coverage to the poor through Medicaid or to the elderly through Medicare or to people who were unable to obtain insurance in the private market, through the ACA. Clearly, the track record is that government intervention has had a big impact and a positive impact on improving access.

As far as the future goes, I think that government will continue to play a role that the market in combination with the government is probably the best solution that will optimize access and give people choice. So that’s the challenges, balancing providing universal access to healthcare coverage and providing choice, all for an affordable price. It’s no easy task, and government clearly has a role.