Solidarity– An Ancient Value for a Modern Healthcare System

<p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" class="first" dir="auto" id="d11229860e65">Solidarity is an ancient value that has held our societies together and has been key to ensuring social cohesion and peace. It is also the foundation of European healthcare systems. “Solidarity is a fundamental principle of the European Union and a pillar on which the Health Union should be built. In this regard, Member States should promote solidarity in the field of health.”1 as stated in the Council Conclusions of 2024. <p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d11229860e67">Solidarity is one of AIM’s basic values and is shared by AIM members across the globe. It is also a “(…) well understood own interest.”² Yet, solidarity is increasingly challenged by demographic ageing, rising healthcare needs, and escalating costs for treatments and medicines. The sustainability of healthcare systems depends on finding new ways to uphold this value in practice. Repurposing of existing medicines could be such a way. Repurposing has the potential to deliver safe, effective, and faster treatments at a fraction of the traditional development cost. However, its success depends on a fair pricing model: not too high to ensure equitable patient access, but also sufficient to guarantee a reasonable return on investment for developers. Without such balance, promising repurposings risk never reaching patients. Reimbursement models, risk-sharing schemes, and adapted assessment frameworks by not for profit health insurers and payers must be explored in order to accommodate for the innovation through repurposing. Investment into repurposing needs to safeguard affordability and access. The presentation will therefore look at the value of solidarity and how it is implemented in European health systems today. It will also highlight AIM’s role in promoting solidarity and explore how new approaches to medicine repurposing and fair pricing can strengthen healthcare systems and solidarity based insurance systems while delivering value to patients and societies alike. <p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d11229860e69"/><p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d11229860e70"> ¹ See: Council of the European Union. 2024. Council conclusions on the future of the European health union: a Europe that cares, prepares and protects (29 May 2024/9900/24) Brussels. ² See : https://www.socialevraagstukken.nl/solidariteit-is-meer-dan-hooggestemd-idealisme/