Dear Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Wyden,
The undersigned are writing to urge you to finalize a long-term reauthorization of PCORI, maintain
its current funding sources, and continue its mandate to conduct comparative clinical effectiveness
research (CER). The Friends of PCORI Reauthorization is a coalition of 184 patient and family
caregiver organizations, health provider associations, biopharma/life science companies, payers,
and other interested entities and individuals supportive of PCORI’s patient-centered mission and
reauthorization.
While the PCOR Trust fund was extended through November 21st in the Continuing Resolution (H.R.
4378/ PL 116-59), it did not extend the funding mechanisms for PCORI to receive FY2020 funds
during this short extension. Without this funding, PCORI will be unable to fund new research and its
ongoing operations will be negatively impacted. Our priority is to ensure that long-term and
consistent funding for PCORI be reauthorized. However, we also urge that if there is another shortterm extension, PCORI’s funding streams be continued as well.
As of June 2019, PCORI has awarded more than $2.4 billion in grants and contracts to more than
700 research-related projects in 44 states across the U.S. Among PCORI’s signature achievements in
its first 10 years has been the creation of a new paradigm for conducting research that better
integrates patient perspectives. PCORI uniquely funds patient-centered outcomes research that
engages patients throughout the research process, including in the research design, so that it
captures outcomes that matter to patients to improve health care decisions. PCORI research
provides a wealth of valuable data for patients and health care providers, while also informing how
the health care system can be more efficient.
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