Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 485, the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act led by Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Rodgers. This bill would permanently ban the use of quality-adjusted life years or similar measures under any Federal healthcare program.

Quality-adjusted life years. Think of that term. Should an academic or Washington bureaucrat be able to say some people are more valuable than others, that vulnerable populations like those with disabilities don't deserve the same access to treatment as others?

Individuals with disabilities, chronic conditions, and others to whom quality-adjusted life years or similar measures may discriminate against, deserve the chance to choose which treatments they access without a Washington bureaucrat or an academic with no clinical experience making the decision for them.

I support this legislation. I appreciate the chair for bringing it forward and sharing her personal story of why this is important. We all know and love Cole. I didn't know he wanted to be a race car driver. I think I did at 16, as well. He is a wonderful young man, and he represents a great group of people who don't deserve to be discriminated against.

Mr. Chair, I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do so.

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