Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act of 2025

# Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act of 2025 Summary **What the bill would do:** This bill would prohibit federal health care programs—including coverage for federal employees, Medicare, Medicaid, and other government-funded health plans—from using a specific cost-measurement tool called "quality-adjusted life years" (QALYs) when deciding which treatments to cover or how much to reimburse doctors and hospitals. QALYs essentially assign different values to health outcomes based on factors like age, disability status, or terminal illness. The bill argues this practice unfairly discriminates against people with disabilities by potentially limiting their access to treatments. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily affects people enrolled in federal health programs (federal employees, Medicaid recipients, Medicare beneficiaries) and people with disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and developmental disabilities who depend on these programs for coverage decisions.

It also impacts the healthcare system broadly, as it could change how treatment effectiveness and costs are evaluated. **Key provisions:** Besides banning QALYs from federal health decisions, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to produce annual reports documenting how QALYs negatively impact people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The bill also cuts funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund by an unspecified amount over fiscal years 2026-2031. **Current status:** The bill is currently in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full House.