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QALY Bill Clears House But Its Vague Ban Against ‘Similar Measures’ Unlikely To Succeed In Senate

 
• By Cathy Kelly

The legislation is a ‘Trojan horse’ designed to undermine the Biden Administration’s policies on cutting drug prices, a leading Democrat claims.

Democrats are wary of Republicans' intentions. • Source: Shutterstock

House Republicans led by Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-OR, succeeded in pushing a bill (HR 485) through the full House along party lines 7 February that would bar using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or any “similar measure” as a metric in coverage and payment determinations in federal health care programs.

The bill's prospects of clearing the Democrat-controlled Senate are dim. Disagreements between Democrats and Republicans on the bill remain similar to arguments about the measure made a year ago

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