Dr Jan Berger Explains the Shift of Patient to Payer in Oncology

A cancer diagnosis is a very emotional experience, and besides for lifestyle issues, medications are one of the best ways to fight the disease, according to Jan Berger, MD, MJ, editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits and an editorial board member of The American Journal of Managed Care.

With the high cost of healthcare for cancer treatment, patients often have to make the very real choice of whether to pay the mortgage or get treatment.

"As we've gone from copay to coinsurance in high-deductible health plans, this means that the costs become a very real barrier in some cases to getting that care we need," Dr Berger said.