ICER’s Latest: A draft evidence report on new treatment for Beta Thalassemia
On April 13, 2022, ICER released its draft evidence report, “Betibeglogene Autotemcel for Beta Thalassemia.” This is the first step in ICER’s review process; ICER is scheduled to release a final report on this treatment in July 2022. Beta thalassemia is a disease...
Businesses With High-Value, Low-Cost Health Insurance Receive First-Ever Health Plan Hero Awards
Six small businesses from across the country were among the first companies ever to receive a national award for their innovative, outstanding employer-sponsored health program. The companies received the 2022 Health Plan Hero award in a ceremony recently held in the...
More of the Same: ICER’s latest salvo on rare diseases
Earlier this month, ICER released a white paper titled “The Next Generation of Rare Disease Drug Policy: Ensuring Both Innovation and Affordability.” If you have been monitoring ICER’s work over the years, the paper likely matches your expectations. Ostensibly, the...
Event: Health Plan Heroes Awards Program and Roundtable
Patients Rising's first annual Health Plan Heroes event will honor companies that have adopted innovative benefit design for their employees. In addition, a panel of experts will have a roundtable discussion on ways for employers to enhance patient access to care as...
Last Word: ICER’s Premature Assessment of New Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes
In mid-February, ICER released a Final Evidence Report on tirzepatide, a new insulin treatment for Type 2 diabetes (T2D). After following its normal process - including preliminary drafts and public comments - ICER concluded the new medication works better than the...
ICER’s Latest Backtracking Illuminates Inconsistent Policies & Practices
Inconsistency at ICER is nothing new. For years, they have been releasing their own version of proprietary value assessments about new drugs and treatments. They've set standard practices and protocols for their assessment process and have updated them over the years....
ICER’s Latest: A Draft Special Assessment of Outpatient Treatments for COVID-19
On February 3, 2022, ICER released its draft evidence report, “Special Assessment of Outpatient Treatments for COVID-19.” This is the most recent step in ICER’s process that is expected to conclude with a public meeting in April and the release of a final report in...
Giving Patients a Window into Healthcare Costs
For years, policymakers across the political spectrum have sought to make the U.S. healthcare system more transparent. Unfortunately, the status quo too often incentivizes policies and practices that seem designed to keep patients in the dark about the real cost of...
Eyes on DC: How the Build Back Better Act could end up harming Medicare patients
As we near the end of a tumultuous year in politics, the fate of the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), a massive social spending bill and a centerpiece of President Biden’s domestic policy agenda, is still up in the air. Among the vast sea of policies included in the BBBA...
ICER’s Latest: A draft evidence report on new treatment for type 2 diabetes
On November 9, 2021, ICER released its draft evidence report, “Tirzepatide for Type 2 Diabetes.” This is the first step in ICER’s process that is expected to conclude with the release of a final report in February 2022. Diabetes is a chronic condition in which a...