The words are nice -- now let's see if the actions lead to NICE.
Here's the House/Senate report language that accompanied the $1.1 billion for a Federal Coordinating Council on Comparative Effectiveness:
"The conferees to not intend for the comparative effectiveness research funding ...to be used to mandate coverage, reimbursement, or other policies for any public or private payers,” and that funding shall be used to evaluate “the clinical outcomes, effectiveness, risk, and benefits of two or more medical treatments and services.” The conferees “further recognize that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to patient treatment is not the most medically appropriate solution to treating various conditions.”
"CE" can mean so many things. It can also mean "Caveat emptor."