LOS ANGELES – The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy & Innovation (TCC) based at LMU’s Loyola Law School and the Partnership to Improve Patient Care will host the conference “The Perils of QALYs: Addressing Discrimination Against People with Disabilities and Serious Chronic Conditions” from 12-2 p.m. on Monday, May 20, 2019 on Loyola’s downtown L.A. campus.
The event will examine the potential for discrimination inherent in metrics evaluating the cost effectiveness of medical treatments for people with disabilities featuring experts on the topic, including former Congressman Tony Coelho, TCC founder and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The free event, which will open with a buffet lunch at 11:30 a.m., is open to the public, but registration is required. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-perils-of-qalystickets-60574603269.
Metrics for measuring the “cost effectiveness,” or value, of treatments often rely on metrics that treat patients and people with disabilities as averages instead of individuals, like the qualityadjusted-life-year (QALY), which values the lives of people with disabilities and serious chronic conditions as worth less than those of non-disabled people. Cost-effectiveness and value assessments are increasingly at the center of state and federal discussions about drug pricing, and advocates may be unfamiliar with how to engage with this complicated but important issue area.
This event is intended to inform people with disabilities, patients, seniors, families, individuals experiencing disparities in care, providers and advocates about value assessments, their potential for discrimination, and related public policy threats at the federal and state level.
“Disability rights advocates have long fought against the QALY, achieving a prohibition against its use in Medicare within the Affordable Care Act. Previous administrations have ruled that using QALYs to allocate healthcare resources may constitute a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” said Katherine Perez, Executive Director, The Coelho Center. “But over the last few years, QALY-based proposals have become increasingly common, threatening access to lifesaving medications for people with disabilities and those with chronic illness. This event will arm advocates with the information they need to oppose discriminatory measures in public programs, like Medicaid, and defend access to care for all.”
About The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy & Innovation
The Coelho Center, housed at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), pursues a unique three-pronged mission: convening thought leaders to pursue positive change on disability issues; leveraging technology to advance the lives of people with disabilities; and creating a pipeline of lawyers with disabilities to populate the bench and hold elected office. The Coelho Center also draws on multiple areas of expertise from other LMU colleges. Founded by former congressman, disability rights icon and LMU alumnus Hon. Tony Coelho (LMU ’64), The Coelho Center is the only organization of its kind at a Catholic university in America and the only one housed at a top U.S. law school. Details about The Coelho Center are available at www.lls.edu/coelhocenter.
About the Partnership to Improve Patient Care
Since its founding, the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) has been at the forefront of applying principles of patient-centeredness to the nation’s health care system – from the generation of comparative clinical effectiveness research at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), to the translation of evidence into patient care in a manner that achieves value to the patient. Having driven the concepts of patient-centeredness and patient engagement in the conduct of research, PIPC looks forward to bringing the voices of patients and people with disabilities to the discussion of how to advance patient-centered principles throughout an evolving health care system.
About Loyola Law School
LMU’s Loyola Law School is home to prominent faculty, dedicated students and cutting-edge programs. Part of Loyola Marymount University, the Law School strives to instill in students the knowledge they need to excel on their chosen paths. It dedicates itself to preparing students for the rigors of practice with an extensive portfolio of practical-training opportunities, an 18,000- strong alumni network and a commitment to social justice. Learn more at www.lls.edu.