Important Step for PCORI Reauthorization: Now Time for Congress to Act in Health

BPC Action applauds the House Ways and Means Committee for including a reauthorization of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) in its health extenders markup today.

In a consumer-driven healthcare world, patients and their providers need more information about what treatments are effective, but far too often, a chronic underinvestment in the field of health services research leads to incomplete or unavailable evidence for the effectiveness of many medical procedures. PCORI-funded projects are crucial to addressing this and the many costly challenges facing our healthcare system. Unique in its ability to involve patients and stakeholders directly from start to finish, PCORI-funded studies allow results to be placed into clinical practice more quickly than similar research programs.

As we see an increasing number of PCORI projects producing results that help patients make better-informed treatment decisions, provide costs savings, and reduce the burden of many major health conditions, its reauthorization is more critical than ever. Since its creation, PCORI has enjoyed bipartisan congressional support, and we look to the 116th Congress to continue this. BPC Action urges Congress to move its reauthorization forward and reaffirm its support for patient-centered care.