This is a full text of one of the seven claims. Please read Kaiser News’ whole story. Kaiser News is a news service funded by the Kaiser Health Foundation. Its information is carefully checked. You can count on its accuracy.

The first claim is about comparative effectiveness research. In medical-speak, this only means, “What works?”

That sounds simple and worth doing—until you think about the mammogram wars—in which capable researchers on both sides keep finding new data which suggests the opposite conclusion from the one in last month’s medical journals.

Comparative effectiveness research is challenging work. Therefore, with the mammogram example front and center, it is easy to see why many could be anxious about this method of assessing care.

Please read the full story. You will find it a good use of your time as you try to live through the conversations about health care reform, fraught as they are with emotions of many kinds.

Kaiser Health News

“The sweeping health care overhaul signed into law his month by President Barack Obama is more than 2,000 pages long and has been dissected by analysts, politicians and pundits. It’s no wonder that some consumers are confused – and perhaps frightened – about how the law might affect them. Some concerns were raised during the congressional debate or have been swirling around the Internet.

“KHN staff writers checked out some of the claims:

“Comparative effectiveness research will lead to the rationing of care for the elderly.

“Not true.

“The law creates a nonprofit Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute charged with examining the “relative health outcomes, clinical effectiveness, and appropriateness” of different medical treatments by evaluating existing studies and conducting its own. The institute would be governed by a 19-member board that includes patients, doctors, hospitals, drug makers, device manufacturers, insurers, payers, government officials and health experts.

“The law states that the institute does not have the power to mandate or even endorse coverage rules or reimbursement for any particular treatment. Medicare may take the institute’s research into account when deciding what procedures it will cover, so long as the new research is not the sole justification and the agency allows for public input.

“This is a shift from Congress’ position when it created the Medicare Part D drug benefit in 2003; back then it banned any use of comparative effectiveness research in determining what would be covered.

“Many experts believe that as health costs continue to mushroom, Medicare and private payers will incorporate the institute’s work into their coverage decisions. Others say history suggests that’s unlikely. “The graveyards of Washington, D.C., are littered with government agencies that tried to do comparative effectiveness research,” said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington….”

Source: Kaiser Health News, March 31, 2010