​A report by the Office of Health Economics (OHE) – the world’s oldest health economics research organization – confirms what we’ve been warning about for years. If the U.S. references prices in other countries, we’ll be embracing decisions that employ the quality adjusted life year (QALY).  In fact, OHE’s analysis shows that 18 of the 19 countries referenced in CMS’ GLOBE and GUARD models make use of QALYs in their decisions about value and pricing.  

The Partnership to Improve Patient Care issued the following statement in response to President Trump's State of the Union Address. 

​The United States is considering policies that would import overseas pricing and reimbursement for health care – this time for medicines – from other countries. These foreign countries differ greatly from the U.S. in many ways, and perhaps most fundamentally, in the value they place on disabled lives. 

In this week's edition...
 
— 119 Organizations Sign Letters to CMS to Reject Importing QALYs that Devalue Disability. View the GUARD letter here. View the GLOBE letter here.
— MFN would import access restrictions – hear Paula’s story. Click here to view Paula's story.
— Health Affairs Discusses MFN Drug Pricing and QALYs. Click here to read the full article.
— Oregon PDAB Holds Forums in April/May for Patient and Disability Input. View more information here about PDAB forums. View the EACH/PIC Coalition recent report allowing respondents to explain how insurance design, cumulative health costs, and life circumstances affect their ability to access care. Get involved in telling your story here.
— Partnership for Part D Access: Action Alert. View the Action Alert HERE.
— California Patients and People with Disabilities: Attend the Patient and Consumer Forum on Health Care Affordability! The meeting will be held on March 10 at 1pm. View details here. 
— Florida Bill Would Import QALYs, Devalue People with Disabilities. Learn more about the experiences of patients and people with disabilities in other countries here. View the letter from PIPC here. View a constituent letter from The Speak Foundation here.
— PIPC Submits Letters Expressing Concern with Virginia PDAB Bill. View our letter here.
— Roll Call: Bipartisan call for Congress to ban metric that devalues people with disabilities. View the Roll Call opinion here. View the Open Letter here from over 100 groups. View PIPC's one pager here. 
— PIPC Data Mine Blog: Why Patients Shouldn’t Bear Individual Harms for Better Population Averages. View the new PIPC Data Mine Blog here.
— Opportunity: Sign an Open Letter Rejecting Use of QALYs and Similar Measures. See details below.
— Emerging Threats in States for Use of Discriminatory Metrics. See details below.
— What Happens in Countries Using QALYs and Cost-Based Thresholds? See details below.
— ICER's QALY-Based Study Topics. See details below.
— Upcoming Events and Webinars. See details below.

Paula, a patient living with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), shares her struggle living with PBC and describes her challenges in accessing newer, more effective treatments for her condition that are not available in Ireland, but are in other countries like the United States.

In this week's edition...
 
— MFN would import access restrictions – hear Paula’s story. Click here to view Paula's story.
— Roll Call: Bipartisan call for Congress to ban metric that devalues people with disabilities. View the Roll Call opinion here. View the Open Letter here from over 100 groups. View PIPC's one pager here. 
— Florida Bill Would Import QALYs, Devalue People with Disabilities. Learn more about the experiences of patients and people with disabilities in other countries here. View the letter from PIPC here. View a constituent letter from The Speak Foundation here.
— PIPC Submits Letters Expressing Concern with Virginia PDAB Bill. View our letter here.
— States Renew Attack on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Integration Mandate. Click here to read more.
— EACH/PIC Coalition Version 2.0 of Patient Experience Survey: Prescription Drug Affordability and Unaffordability. Learn more here.
 — Survey Shows Virginia Voters Trust Doctors and are Skeptical of PDABs. Click here to view.
— PIPC Data Mine Blog: Why Patients Shouldn’t Bear Individual Harms for Better Population Averages. View the new PIPC Data Mine Blog here.
— Opportunity: Sign an Open Letter Rejecting Use of QALYs and Similar Measures. See details below.
— Update on the Texas v. Kennedy Lawsuit. See details below.
— Emerging Threats in States for Use of Discriminatory Metrics. See details below.
— What Happens in Countries Using QALYs and Cost-Based Thresholds? See details below.
— ICER's QALY-Based Study Topics. See details below.
— Upcoming Events and Webinars. See details below.

In this week's edition...
 
— MFN would import access restrictions – hear Paula’s story. Click here to view Paula's story.
 — Roll Call: Bipartisan call for Congress to ban metric that devalues people with disabilities. View the Roll Call opinion here. View the Open Letter here from over 100 groups. View PIPC's one pager here. 
— Florida Bill Would Import QALYs, Devalue People with Disabilities. Learn more about the experiences of patients and people with disabilities in other countries here. View the letter from PIPC here. View a constituent letter from The Speak Foundation here.
— States Renew Attack on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Integration Mandate. Click here to read more.
— EACH/PIC Coalition Version 2.0 of Patient Experience Survey: Prescription Drug Affordability and Unaffordability. Learn more here.
 — Survey Shows Virginia Voters Trust Doctors and are Skeptical of PDABs. Click here to view.
— PIPC Responds to CMS' GLOBE and GUARD Models, Also Known as 'Most Favored Nation.' Click here to read PIPC's full statement.
— RealClear Discusses 'Most Favored Nation,' Criticizing the Policy's Impact on Patient Access. Click here to view the article.
— PIPC Data Mine Blog: Why Patients Shouldn’t Bear Individual Harms for Better Population Averages. View the new PIPC Data Mine Blog here.
— Prasad and Makary Discuss Novel FDA Plausible Mechanism Pathway. Click here to read the NEJM publication.
— Opportunity: Sign an Open Letter Rejecting Use of QALYs and Similar Measures. See details below.
— Update on the Texas v. Kennedy Lawsuit. See details below.
— Emerging Threats in States for Use of Discriminatory Metrics. See details below.
— What Happens in Countries Using QALYs and Cost-Based Thresholds? See details below.
— ICER's QALY-Based Study Topics. See details below.
— Upcoming Events and Webinars. See details below.