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.
Additional key findings include:
The survey addresses recent proposals calling for government-determined value determinations based on cost-effectiveness analyses. These analyses would rely on quality of adjusted life (QALY) standards as a metric that determine the value of a treatment by assigning a number to patients based on their condition or disease.
PIPC Chairman Tony Coelho stated, “This survey highlights the importance of PIPC’s long-standing efforts to support patient-centered approaches over cost-effectiveness assessments that determine the value of patient care in a one-size-fits-all approach. Patients should have the freedom to decide with their doctor, not the government, over which treatment or care is best suited for their situation and needs. PIPC has worked too long and too hard to support patients and provide them with a meaningful voice in determining their health care decisions.”
- Just over 2,000 registered voters polled, a little over 90 percent believe healthcare decisions should be made between patients and their doctors without government interference.
- Almost 75 percent of polled voters concerned with the idea of the government or their health insurance company using cost-effectiveness standards to set policy.
- 7 in 10 voters believe it is important for Congress to continue funding Patient Centered Outcomes Research Initiative (PCORI) and support PCORI conducting research on the comparative health value of different drugs.
- 85 percent of voters believe it is important to have the safeguard in Medicare that prevents the government from using cost-effectiveness to make coverage or payment decisions, and more than two-thirds support expanding these protections to other health care programs.
The survey addresses recent proposals calling for government-determined value determinations based on cost-effectiveness analyses. These analyses would rely on quality of adjusted life (QALY) standards as a metric that determine the value of a treatment by assigning a number to patients based on their condition or disease.
PIPC Chairman Tony Coelho stated, “This survey highlights the importance of PIPC’s long-standing efforts to support patient-centered approaches over cost-effectiveness assessments that determine the value of patient care in a one-size-fits-all approach. Patients should have the freedom to decide with their doctor, not the government, over which treatment or care is best suited for their situation and needs. PIPC has worked too long and too hard to support patients and provide them with a meaningful voice in determining their health care decisions.”
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About PIPC
Since its founding, the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) has been at the forefront of patient-centeredness in comparative effectiveness research (CER) – both its generation at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and its translation into patient care. Having driven the concept of patient-centeredness in the conduct of research, PIPC looks forward to bringing the patient voice to the discussion of how to advance patient-centered principles throughout an evolving healthcare system.
PIPC's Steering Committee is comprised of the following organizations: the Alliance for Aging Research, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the Association of Clinical Research Organizations, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Easter Seals, the Epilepsy Foundation, the National Association for Hispanic Health, and PhRMA. PIPC can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter at @pipcpatients.
Since its founding, the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) has been at the forefront of patient-centeredness in comparative effectiveness research (CER) – both its generation at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and its translation into patient care. Having driven the concept of patient-centeredness in the conduct of research, PIPC looks forward to bringing the patient voice to the discussion of how to advance patient-centered principles throughout an evolving healthcare system.
PIPC's Steering Committee is comprised of the following organizations: the Alliance for Aging Research, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the Association of Clinical Research Organizations, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Easter Seals, the Epilepsy Foundation, the National Association for Hispanic Health, and PhRMA. PIPC can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter at @pipcpatients.
