PIPC submitted a letter to Michigan lawmakers in response to a provision within SB 857 to fund policies that would import discriminatory QALYs from other countries by way of "Most Favored Nation" agreements.
"As drafted, the legislation seeks to reference drug prices in other countries, thereby importing their use of QALYs and similar measures to value treatments, an algorithm that devalues the patients and people with disabilities that stand to most benefit from innovation," the letter states. "In countries that rely on QALYs, patients are often not able to access or face long delays in accessing needed treatments. Referencing other countries is contrary to federal laws governing disability discrimination due to their reliance on QALYs and similar measures.”
Color of Gastrointestinal Illnesses similarly provided a letter stating, "...COGI has real concerns that this new policy proposing to import international prices may lead to Michigan patients experiencing the same care denials and delays that are seen in other countries. Other countries consider less effective and older drugs as therapeutic alternatives, despite evidence that they are not necessarily interchangeable for patients in the real world. Patients with Crohn’s disease are often forced to cycle through many treatments before finding the one that works for them. The experience of patients in other countries should be a warning not to model their systems of health care.”
Color of Gastrointestinal Illnesses similarly provided a letter stating, "...COGI has real concerns that this new policy proposing to import international prices may lead to Michigan patients experiencing the same care denials and delays that are seen in other countries. Other countries consider less effective and older drugs as therapeutic alternatives, despite evidence that they are not necessarily interchangeable for patients in the real world. Patients with Crohn’s disease are often forced to cycle through many treatments before finding the one that works for them. The experience of patients in other countries should be a warning not to model their systems of health care.”
