KCE Glossary

It is a measure used in healthcare to determine whether a new treatment or intervention is worth the extra cost compared to an existing treatment.
The ICER shows how much extra money you have to spend to gain one extra unit of health with the new treatment. That unit of health is measured in QALYs (Quality-Adjusted Life Years).

Healthcare authorities in certain countries use ICERs to decide whether a new treatment is cost-effective and therefore eligible for reimbursement. In Belgium, there is no formal, fixed ICER threshold. This means that there is no legal criterion such as “interventions with an ICER ≤ £40,000 per QALY are reimbursed”. Clinical effectiveness, the severity of the condition, social value and uncertainty factors are also taken into account.