Trojan Horse of Comparative Effectiveness Research

“Through 2019, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — otherwise known as Obamacare — will allocate some $3.5 billion toward “Comparative Effectiveness Research,” or CER….”

“CER is nothing more than a backdoor route to healthcare rationing. Such research will almost certainly be used to not-so-subtly influence treatment decisions.”

“To run its CER efforts, Obamacare establishes a “Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute” (PCORI) — a public-private entity that oversees the law’s funding, goals, and outside partnerships.”

“Technically, PCORI isn’t allowed to “dictate” coverage mandates or reimbursement levels based on its findings. But that doesn’t mean that private insurers or public payers like Medicare and Medicaid can’t use the center’s findings to adjust coverage and reimbursement decisions accordingly.”

“PCORI’s CER findings are likely to have a huge effect on what treatments are actually available to the public.”

“And that should scare patients and doctors alike.”

“We’ve already seen how this goes, and the results aren’t pretty. Back in 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force — another government-run panel of independent experts — revised its breast-cancer screening recommendations by telling women to wait until age 50 before undergoing routine mammograms. Previously, the group had encouraged women to start mammograms at age 40.”

“One reason the Task Force cited for the change? Cost.”

“Only after a public outcry did Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius make clear that her agency would not support the recommendations.”