The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is emerging as a major player in the health care cost debate. The organization through its affiliates is holding public meetings focusing on specific diseases and outlining their model of controlling costs, providing value and what the “best” treatment will be for patients.
When I read their website, however, I was shocked to discover how ICER tries to portray itself to the world as a fair arbiter of controlling cost, providing value and deciding the best treatment.
First, let’s look at their independence claim.
At the end of its website article titled “ICER Opens National Call for Proposed Improvements to its Value Assessment Framework,“ it says “the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is an independent (emphasis added) non-profit research institute that produces reports analyzing the evidence on the effectiveness and value of drugs and other medical services.”
Dr. Steve Pearson, who heads the nonprofit, says ICER tries to be transparent and “whenever an independent entity takes a hard look at data, there’s going to be tension.”
About the Author
Bob Tufts Professor, Yeshiva University and cancer survivor