In a study estimating the social marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for QALY gains among the general public, we observed distinct preference patters with respect to the allocation of healthcare resources.

Among a considerable proportion of the public, MWTP per QALY was sensitive to the severity of illness. It was not at all sensitive to the age of care recipients.

These findings emphasize the importance of accounting for heterogeneity in preferences among the public on value-laden issues such as prioritizing health care, both in research and decision making.

Findings about equity considerations are, however, not consistent across studies. This underlines the need to further explore the monetary value of a QALY in relation to equity considerations.