U.S. Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington State authored six major provisions in the 21st Century Cures Act, which the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved this month by a bipartisan vote of 344-77.
Throughout the summer, McMorris Rodgers plans to keep forward motion progressing as part of a bipartisan coalition of supporters. The Congresswoman says the bill package helps modernize federal HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] laws, accelerates the discovery of new cures, creates research consortia to treat pediatric disorders, and brings the regulatory framework into the 21st Century by embracing technologies that focus on patient-specific therapies and the potential for powerful indicators, like Biomarkers.
“Innovation and discovery should be accelerated; treatments should be quickly available; and we should be curing diseases here in the United States,” the Congresswoman said. “This legislation helps achieve that.”
The 21st Century Cures Act, H.R. 6, was introduced May 19 by Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich. On a fast track, the bill passed the House July 10. On the Senate side, the bill has been referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
McMorris Rodgers recently explained why this legislation is a unique opportunity for Americans. The following is an edited excerpt of her discussion with Ripon Advance.
Ripon Advance: Why do you support this legislation?
McMorris Rodgers: Millions of people live with currently incurable or untreatable diseases, which in the long-run will cost Americans trillions of dollars in health care costs. America prides itself in being a global leader in innovation, but we’ve allowed top-down, one-size-fits-all regulations to slow down development. Investing in cures is a proactive and conservative solution that deserves our support. There is no cause nobler than saving lives.
Ripon Advance: How would the act benefit your home-state constituents, specifically, and American citizens, generally?
McMorris Rodgers: This initiative has been more than a year in the making, and during that time I met with several Eastern Washingtonians who are searching for cures. People like Mitch, a high school student with cancer, whose survival depended on the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] approving a clinical trial; or ALS patients like Jenny Hoff, who has lived with the disease for nine years without any cure.
Speeding up approval processes for new innovations and breaking down the barriers government builds to these potentially life-changing ideas can offer hope to millions of Americans, in Eastern Washington and around the country, that a cure is possible. Our country has done it before, and with the right conditions it can happen again.
Ripon Advance: What other related bills or proposals do you support and why?
McMorris Rodgers: Last year as the ice-bucket challenge was sweeping across the country, Gail Gleason, the mother of former NFL-star Steve Gleason, came to me with concerns about Medicare denying access to cutting-edge, speech-generating technology for patients living with degenerative diseases. Gail and Steve feared thousands of people would lose their ability to communicate with the world around them.
This week the Steve Gleason Act passed the House and it is headed for the President’s desk for signature. With broad bipartisan, bicameral support, the bill ensures that once innovations exist, they don’t collect dust on a shelf or get tangled in red tape — they make it to the people who desperately need them to improve their lives.
[Editor’s Note: The Steve Gleason Act is named for the former New Orleans Saints player who has lived with ALS since 2011. McMorris Rodgers sponsored the House version; the Senate version is sponsored by Sen. David Vitter, R-La. On July 15, the bill passed the full Congress. President Obama’s signature making it federal law is expected soon. According to text of the bill, it would amend title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover as durable medical equipment any eye tracking and gaze interaction accessories for speech-generating devices furnished to individuals with a demonstrated medical need for them. Payment for the devices would be made on a rental basis or a lump sum amount.]
Ripon Advance: During Congress’ August recess from Washington, D.C., what are the next steps you plan to take regarding the 21st Century Cures Act?
McMorris Rodgers: For more than a year, I’ve hosted roundtables and meetings with innovators and patients in Washington State who would be impacted by 21st Century Cures, and I look forward to doing the same this summer. A dynamic and diverse coalition helped create the legislation and their voices will continue to be heard as the fight to pass it in the Senate begins.