Partnership to Improve Patient Care

Recently, PIPC Chairman Tony Coelho participated in a radio interview on KDKA News Radio 1020 AM in Pittsburgh, PA, to talk about healthcare reform and specifically comparative effectiveness research (CER).

“I really agree that we need to reform healthcare,” Coelho said.  He then went on to discuss CER and the need to keep this research patient-centered. 

Coelho said that PIPC supports a robust research portfolio that studies a broad array of treatments for diseases and disabilities, and PIPC also believes citizens should have access to that research on treatments “that is determinative” and would be provided “to patients and to the doctors, to determine if that’s the right [treatment] for that particular patient.”

Coelho also went on to express his concern, and that of PIPC, that research would be conducted, reviewed, and disseminated by the federal government.  Rather, PIPC supports legislation that would establish a private institute – with representation from all  key stakeholders – that would collect and disseminate the research data.

“The concern we have in the patient community, is that the government would use that [information] for cutting costs,” Coelho said.  “They would say, ‘You who have epilepsy, we’re not going to permit X number of drugs, without taking into consideration the patient or the therapy provided – from the doctor or nurse or whatever feels it’s important…we need to get it out of the government’s hands.”

Coelho continued, “What we want is a private institute that is made up of government, insurers, the patients, and doctors and so forth.  So that..we all go to the table and have a voice in what is said – and not controlled by the government.  Because if it’s the Democrats or the Republicans in charge it doesn’t make any difference, they’re each going to use that data to further their own policies as opposed to the public good.”

Coelho also publicly thanked two Pennsylvania representatives, Rep. Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) and Rep. Jason Altmire (PA-4), for their work on and commitment to patient-centered CER.

PIPC publicly supports  CER legislation being considered in the House of Representatives  and Senate - as well as an amendment to HR 3200 that is currently before the House Energy and Commerce Committee put forward by Del. Donna Christensen (VI).