Category: Press Releases

Americans Support Patient-Centered Solutions Without Government Interference

3/15/2019

Poll of 2,001 registered voters finds most Americans want to decide the best course of treatment with their doctors and oppose government use of cost-effectiveness assessments

Today, the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) released a public opinion poll by Morning Consult regarding the use of cost-effectiveness assessments to determine value of coverage and treatment costs. The survey demonstrates that voters resoundingly reject the main tenets of cost-effectiveness analyses with 82 percent of American voters objecting to their use in determining health care coverage and reimbursement decisions. These types of measures, which are often used outside of the U.S. to limit patient access to medicines, have been frequently criticized as discriminatory by patients and persons with disabilities. Increasingly, policymakers and payers have proposed to use these same tools to limit coverage for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

PIPC Submits Letter to ICER on Value Assessment Process

9/22/2016

The Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) and over 40 organizations representing patients, people with disabilities and providers submitted a letter to the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) in response to their request for input on their value assessment process. In the letter, the organizations stated, “Simply put, if we aren’t paying for care that patients’ value, we aren’t really paying for value-based care.”

Survey: Americans Support Patient-Centered Solutions, Oppose Government Determining Value

4/12/2016

Poll of 2,000 registered voters finds most Americans want to decide the best course of treatment with their doctors and oppose government intervention in medical care as proposed by CMS

CMS’ Proposed Use of Comparative and Cost-Effectiveness Standards: What It Means for Patients

4/8/2016

On March 8, 2016, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new Part B Drug Payment Model. Among its provisions, the proposal calls for use of comparative effectiveness research (CER) and cost-effectiveness reports as the basis for national Medicare policy, in direct conflict with the patient-centeredness movement. Since its inception, the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) has been strongly opposed to misuse of CER and cost effectiveness in government policies. This proposal appears to have been rushed forward with little or no patient input. The phase involving centralized use of CER and cost-effectiveness begins early in 2017, eventually covering 50% of providers and patients, leaving little time for meaningful patient engagement.

PIPC Alert on Patient Access!

4/5/2016

On March 8, 2016, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new Part B Drug Payment Model calling for centralized use of comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness reports as the basis for national Medicare policy. The Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) is strongly opposed to the approach outlined by CMS and asks asks all stakeholders to alert Congress to the serious concerns brought on by CMS' proposed Part B Drug Payment Model.

Patient and Cancer Care Leaders Release Policy Recommendations on ‘Value’ in Oncology

11/4/2015

The Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC), along with nine leading patient and cancer care advocates, released a landmark set of recommendations reflecting the consensus of patient communities on how to outcomes that matter to oncology patients. The summary —based on a recent roundtable discussion convened by PIPC— outlines priorities for public policy in cancer care as the healthcare system shifts away from a fee-for-service (FFS) model to alternative payment models (APMs) that reward providers for their ability to achieve “value.”

New Survey Results: Patients Value Choice in Treatments, Access to Different Options

7/14/2015

Results from a poll of 1,500 registered voters strongly suggest that Americans want to be active participants in determining their healthcare treatments, and prefer limited government intervention when it comes to the treatments they can access.

PIPC Convenes Leaders to Define Roadmap for Engaging and Empowering Patients

6/15/2015

The Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) today released a detailed summary and recommendations from an expert roundtable it convened April 15 of this year to explore strategies for engaging and empowering patients in care delivery. Convened by PIPC Chairman Tony Coelho, the roundtable consisted of 17 thought-leaders in the area of patient engagement and activation, all of whom shared their concerns about the existing health care infrastructure for meaningful patient and beneficiary engagement, and provided ideas for improvement.

PIPC’s Andrew Rosenberg Named to PCORI Advisory Panel on Communication and Dissemination Research

4/23/2015

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has appointed PIPC’s Deputy Director, Andrew Rosenberg, JD, MP, to serve on the Institute’s new Advisory Panel on Communication and Dissemination Research (CDR). Rosenberg, who has over 20 years of experience as a healthcare and disability policy consultant, as well as a Capitol Hill staffer, brings a unique perspective to patient-centeredness – informed by his personal experience as a caregiver to his mother, who passed away after a protracted fight with a rare form of cancer.

PIPC Comments on MedPAC Consideration of Bundled Payments

4/3/2015

PIPC Chairman Tony Coelho: "On behalf of millions of patients represented by our membership, PIPC urges MedPAC to expand the role of shared decision-making in Medicare, not reduce it. After hearing today’s recommendations related to bundling, however, we can’t help but harbor concerns that MedPAC is instead pursuing policies to reduce the role of patients by centralizing judgments about the comparative clinical value of treatments in a manner that puts a government agency between the doctor and the patient in determining an appropriate treatment regimen.

PIPC Chairman Coelho Comments on GAO Report on PCORI

3/10/2015

On March 9, 2015, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a review of PCORI’s activities as mandated by law. The Chairman of the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC), former Congressman Tony Coelho, stated: "PIPC remains vigilant in its efforts to ensure that PCORI’s work improves health care decision-making, and therefore is pleased that the GAO’s review of PCORI concluded that it is meeting its legislative mandate. Although the report acknowledged stakeholder concerns that PCORI’s research priorities are too broad and lack specificity, I am pleased that the GAO found that PCORI has been responsive to PIPC and others by better utilizing advisory panels to identify more specific research questions and topics....

PIPC Comments on GAO Report on CER Dissemination

3/4/2015

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report yesterday entitled, “Comparative Effectiveness Research: HHS Needs to Strengthen Dissemination and Data-Capacity-Building Efforts.” The Chairman of the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC), former Congressman Tony Coelho, provided the following response to the report’s findings and recommendations:
“PIPC is pleased that GAO has evaluated some of the key issues in HHS’ use of comparative effectiveness research (CER) funds, particularly related to dissemination of research findings. The report highlights some of the same issues that PIPC has identified with AHRQ's CER dissemination activities, and the critical need for the agency to establish a strategic plan, standards, and procedures to advance new, patient-centered approaches to CER dissemination.

PCORI Comments on 21st Century Cures Discussion Draft

2/19/2015

Today, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) submitted formal comments to Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "[PCORI] applauds the efforts of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to forge a bipartisan approach to speeding development of effective new therapies and to involving patients in the process. PCORI has proven that involving patients leads to better research questions and better research post-approval. We agree that engaging patients will improve technology development research, and PCORI stands ready to help.” PCORI offered in their comments to be helpful in guiding the collection and methodological work around gathering patient data, advocated to support CER studies after treatments have been approved by the FDA, and advocated to build upon the foundation of PCORnet and its work to modernize clinical trials.

PIPC Statement on Medicare Program and Value-Driven Care

1/26/2015

Tony Coelho: "Today, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced new goals intended to move the Medicare program further toward value-driven health care. In addition, Secretary Burwell unveiled a newly launched Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network to support those goals. The Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) shares the Secretary’s goal of achieving a more efficient, high-quality and patient-centered health care system.

PIPC Statement on PCORI and Hepatitis C Funding

12/8/2014

Today, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Board of Governors approved $50 million in targeted funding for four specific areas of research related to hepatitis C resulting from its expert advisory group meeting held on October 17, 2014. Patients and patient advocates applauded PCORI for convening diverse stakeholders and for using a process that, with continued patient engagement, will prioritize the research questions that matter most to patients.

<<Previous

Forward>>

The PIPC Blog