PIPC Webinar: The Perils of QALYs: Addressing Disability Discrimination

The Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) invites people with disabilities, patients, seniors, families, individuals experiencing disparities in care, providers and advocates to join our webinar on Feb. 26 from 1:30-2:30 PM EST to learn about value assessments, their potential for discrimination, and related public policy threats to beware of at both the federal and state level.

Metrics for measuring the “cost effectiveness” or value of treatments often relies on discriminatory methods, like the quality-adjusted-life-year (QALY), which values the lives of people with disabilities and serious chronic conditions as worth less than those of non-disabled people. QALYs are increasingly at the center of state and federal discussions about drug pricing, and advocates may be unfamiliar with how to engage with a complicated but important issue area.
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Disability rights advocates have long fought against the QALY, achieving a prohibition against its use in Medicare within the Affordable Care Act. Previous administrations have ruled that using QALYs to allocate healthcare resources may constitute a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. But over the last two years, QALY-based proposals have become increasingly common, threatening access to lifesaving medications for people with disabilities and those with chronic illness.

This webinar will arm advocates with the information they need to oppose discriminatory measures in public programs, like Medicaid, and defend access to care for all.