Health Affairs, 28, no. 5 (2009): 1466-1474 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.28.5.1466 © 2009 by Project HOPE	New Online   Senate Health Reform Bill   Rewarding Providers   Public Option Policy Brief   Health Reform & Abortion   Delivery System Reform

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Looking Ahead

Is It Time To Reexamine The Patent System’s Role In Spending Growth?

Containing health care spending growth will require changing the amount and form of new health care technology. But even if new technology lowers real resource costs by reducing the use of medical care (as through personalized medicine or by producing cost offsets), it might not lower the rate of growth of spending when patents are present: higher net value may translate into a higher price for patented products. To lower long-run spending growth, it may be necessary to change patent policy by reducing the term of patent life or linking spending growth targets to net benefits from patented products.

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