Frank Pallone: “Republicans are pointing to the Congressional Budget Office's score of their bill as proof that healthcare programs are…”

“Republicans are pointing to the Congressional Budget Office's score of their bill as proof that healthcare programs are already using the QALY to discriminate against people, but that is simply not what the CBO score says. It is ironic Republicans would point to CBO's analysis, given it highlights my exact concern that this bill's reference to other ``similar measures'' is ambiguous and undermines drug price negotiations. It is precisely this uncertainty that would result in a chilling effect on States and Federal agencies being willing to look at the cost of prescription drugs. Again, I take no issue with banning QALYs, and I offered an amendment in committee to ban QALYs when this bill was marked up, but that is not what this is about. This is an effort by the Republicans to back up pharma and make sure that we don't look at cost measures; that we don't negotiate prices, which they oppose in Medicare; and that we simply let the pharmaceutical companies charge whatever they want. Imagine what it would be like if the pharmaceutical companies could charge whatever they want. Not only would it cost another $1.1 billion, which is what the CBO says, but it could undermine any efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs throughout any Federal and State programs. What does that mean? What does that mean for people?…”