Politics and Policy of Comparative Effectiveness: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Mathematica Issue Brief
June 24, 2010
Eugene C. Rich, Elizabeth Docteur

Interest in evaluating which health care interventions work best under what circumstances has surged in recent years as policymakers seek tools to moderate the cost of public entitlement programs and to facilitate affordable coverage expansions in an era of rising health spending. Although recent legislation has taken positions on some of the fundamental issues relating to expanded public support for comparative effectiveness research (CER), a number of key political and policy questions have been deferred to another time and venue. Thus, continuing disagreements may pose challenges to the new CER initiative.

This research, by Eugene C. Rich, M.D., and HSC Vice President Elizabeth Docteur, was published as a Mathematica Policy Research Issue Brief. It is available here.