Hospitals Urge Super Committee To Expand Comparative Effectiveness Research

“The American Hospital Association is urging the debt law’s super committee to embrace ‘real’ comparative effectiveness research that includes cost analysis as it searches for health care deficit cutters,” Inside Health Policy’s Sahil Kapur reports. “When we talk about ‘real’ comparative effectiveness research, we really support including cost-effectiveness of different treatment options,” the AHA official said. “We know that others don’t. But we think that information is one other component to determine what might be best for the needs of patients.” Doctors, device makers, and Republicans had repeatedly warned that considering “cost” in coverage recommendations would lead to European-style health care rationing and lawmakers omitted the measure from the health care law. Other groups believe that including cost could encourage innovation and lower health care spending.