Today, the House of Representatives voted 211-208 to pass HR 485, the Protecting Healthcare for All Patients Act. This bill would ban the use of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in coverage decisions in Federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. QALYs are a flawed measure of quality of life that inherently devalues the lives of people with disabilities, and we are appreciative of the House’s action to end this discriminatory practice.

In passing the legislation, the House offset the cost by substantially reducing critical public health funding. We are hopeful that when the bill is considered by the Senate, we can work with lawmakers to find a funding mechanism for the bill that does not strain an already over-extended public health system. We will continue to work with Congress to ensure that QALYs and similarly harmful measures are banned and that those in the neuromuscular disease and broader disability community have equal access to care.