NY Times Reports on Health Decision-Making in Britain

The New York Times featured a lengthy article on December 2nd examining the cost effectiveness decision making process developed by the British government agency, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The article reports, "Top health officials in Austria, Brazil, Colombia and Thailand said in interviews that NICE now strongly influences their policies." The article reports, "For years, Britain was almost alone in using evidence of cost-effectiveness to decide what to pay for. But skyrocketing prices for drugs and medical devices have led a growing number of countries to ask the hardest of questions: How much is life worth? For many, NICE has the answer."

The article, entitled "British Balance Benefit vs. Cost of Latest Drugs," describes the influence NICE has been able to wield with drug manufacturers to lower the cost of medications and to focus their research in areas of greatest need. This article is one of a series called "The Evidence Gap" which explores medical treatments from an evidence-based perspective.

The full text of the December 2nd New York Times article is available on the New York Times' website.