Free market advocates say competition is key to patient access

The Pacific Research Institute (PRI) has criticized reimbursement practices in the UK, describing the country’s medicines cost-effectiveness watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), as ‘a cautionary tale’ for the US healthcare system.

The PRI, which advocates “a free economy, private initiative, and limited government,”  says that in the UK, “the government makes the call on when, what, and for whom treatments will be available.”

The authors do not consider the availability of treatments through privately funded or insured means in the UK.