NHC UPDATE
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Comparative Effectiveness Research -December 2009
The National Health Council, working with our consultant, Avalere Health, continues to produce updated analyses of health care reform legislation introduced this year, including comparative effectiveness research (CER). The NHC’s Health Care Reform Issue Team and the Subcommittee on CER have used these materials to educate NHC members, as well as Members of Congress and their staff, on this issue as it relates to legislation proposed by the House and Senate.
As the health care reform legislation has progressed, the NHC has worked with consultants to develop “usefulness guidelines,” which would govern when the results of CER could be used for coverage and reimbursement decisions. These guidelines were put into draft legislative language that was submitted to the House and Senate.
NHC staff and member representatives were invited to a meeting with staff members of the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. At this meeting, NHC discussed our policy position on the governing entity for CER, which we believe should be a public/private partnership and not solely a federal government body. NHC also discussed the proposal for usefulness guidelines as a part of a methodology committee. The NHC has continued to support a transparent and open CER governing process with strong patient and consumer representation.
The NHC submitted two letters with draft language to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. These letters support the NHC CER values and encourage Congress to move forward with a patient-focused, long-term framework for use of CER funds. The letters also proposed legislative language that supports the incorporation of successful delivery systems into larger models of health care delivery system reform. While all of the NHC language was not incorporated into the House reform legislation, the Senate bill, which combines Finance and HELP Committee language, does contain many of the provisions that the NHC has worked for. The House passed its legislation by a vote of 220-215 on November 7.
The NHC will continue to press for our legislative changes as the Senate completes work on health care reform legislation and legislation advances to a conference committee.
Staff Contact: Kevin Cain, Assistant Vice President, Government Affairs and Programs
