HHS Drug Pricing Plan: Mum On National Cost Effectiveness Program, Cautious On QALYs

Biopharma likely approves of the Administration’s concern that QALYs, a commonly used metric in cost effectiveness evaluations, may not be appropriate for drug pricing reform policies because it could disadvantage people with disabilities.

Administration Has Yet To Describe How To Define Drug Value • Source: Alamy

The Health and Human Services Department’s just released Comprehensive Plan for Addressing High Drug Prices refrains from any mention of a national health technology assessment program that could inform government price negotiation in Medicare and potentially, in the commercial insurance sector.

In the run up to the presidential election and early in his term, there was widespread speculation that Biden was interested in a national HTA initiative as part of a broader approach to drug pricing reform. (Also see "Biden, Germany And Bringing A National Drug Pricing Negotiation Process To US" - Pink Sheet, 23 October, 2020

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