Congress needs to cut QALYs

The House of Representatives last week approved a bill that would ban the use of “quality-adjusted life years,” or QALYs, as well as other measures for determining the purported value of a medical intervention, in all federal health programs. Now the Senate will consider the measure.

QALYs should have no place in federal decision-making about whether to cover a drug or medical procedure. Their primary purpose is to give the government cover for denying access to treatment — especially for seniors and disabled people.