UPPER NYACK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF) released a fact check report entitled “Omissions in ICER’s Claims” in response to a report recently issued by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). Notably, the GHLF fact check report reveals ICER’s close ties to the insurance industry, undermining the objective role that ICER claims it plays in deciding whether patients are granted access to life-saving medication.
On August 9, 2016, ICER issued a report entitled “Addressing the Myths About ICER and Value Assessment”, that aimed to respond to the growing questions over ICER’s credibility by a number of doctors and patient advocacy groups. GHLF’s fact check of this report found, among other inaccuracies, that:
- ICER was formed with the backing of $430,000 in seed funding from the insurance industry;
- ICER received 77% of its disclosed funding in 2013 from the insurance sector; and
- Eight of the nine directors listed on ICER’s 2014 tax filing previously worked in the insurance industry.
Commenting on the report, GHLF co-founder and President Seth Ginsberg said, “The fact check shows a trail of omissions and inaccuracies in ICER’s report that are designed to confuse the public and cover up the agenda of an organization that is responsible for making major decisions about every American’s health.”
“ICER is more interested in helping the insurance industry save costs than understanding the life-saving merits of new and innovative drugs,” said Ginsberg. Their “F grade” for transparency with their last report, which omitted key facts about how lopsided they are toward insurance companies, compels us to seriously call into doubt ICER’s role in accurately determining the value of therapy. The public, especially patients and their families with serious diseases who are overlooked by the majority of ICER’s methodology, deserve better.”
The GHLF “Omissions from ICER’s Claims” memo is available at the following URL: http://ghlf.org/ICER-Response-Report.pdf
About Global Healthy Living Foundation
The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people living with chronic illnesses by advocating for improved access to care at the community, state, and federal levels, and amplifying education and awareness efforts within its social media framework. The Global Healthy Living Foundation is the parent organization of CreakyJoints, the go-to source for more than 100,000 arthritis patients and their families world-wide who are seeking education, support, advocacy and patient-centered research and the recently launched ArthritisPower, the first ever patient-led, patient-centered research registry for arthritis, bone, and inflammatory skin conditions.
