Alliance: Passage of H.R. 485 is a Milestone, Bipartisan Senate Support Now Needed to Ban QALY

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 485, the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act. H.R. 485 would prohibit all federally-funded healthcare programs, including the Veterans Administration, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and federally funded state health care programs (e.g., Medicaid) from using quality-adjusted life years (QALY) or similar metrics (i.e., measures that discount the value of a life based on disability, age, or terminal illness) to determine relevant thresholds for coverage, reimbursements, or incentive programs. Alliance for Aging Research Public Policy Manager Adina Lasser released the following statement:

The Alliance commends Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers and the members of the House of Representatives who voted today to pass H.R. 485 in the U.S. House of Representatives. This landmark legislation bans the use of value-assessment techniques that have a detrimental impact on healthcare access for older Americans, people with disabilities, and populations that have historically faced inequities in society and the health care system. The National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency, has advised Congress that preventing the use of discriminatory health economics measures is necessary in order to realize the goal of an equitable healthcare system in the U.S.

While the passage of H.R. 485 in the House today is an important milestone, we were disappointed that there was not bipartisan support for the legislation which – if enacted – would extend protections previously enshrined in the Affordable Care Act for the Medicare program and extend them to Medicaid, the Veterans Administration, and other federally-funded healthcare programs.

The Alliance supports the delivery of high-value care. However, if methodologies result in discriminatory outcomes or are not focused on outcomes that patients and their caregivers find valuable, they have no place in our healthcare system. The Alliance, along with more than 100 other leading patient advocacy organizations, will continue to work with policymakers to ensure that patients receive high-quality care that does not discriminate on the basis of age or disability.

Preventing discrimination in healthcare should not be a partisan issue. We encourage the Senate to take up this important issue and reach bipartisan consensus to ban the use of the QALY and similar metrics.

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The Alliance for Aging Research is dedicated to changing the narrative to achieve healthy aging and equitable access to care. We strive for a culture that embraces healthy aging as a greater good and values science and investments to advance dignity, independence, and equity. Learn more at AgingResearch.org.