A bill to protect those with disabilities—and others who are vulnerable—from being deprived of certain medical treatments under federal health care programs was heard by a House subcommittee on Feb. 1. 
Presently, federal health care programs use a quality adjusted-life-years calculation, or QALYS, when determining what procedures it will cover and levels of reimbursement.  People who the government determines to be healthy receive a higher score for an additional year of life than do those with a disability.  
The bill, “Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act of 2023, H.R. 485, was discussed in a House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health hearing, called Lives Worth Living: Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis, Protecting Critical Lifelines, and Combatting Discrimination Against Those with Disabilities.   …