Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) on April 27 released their concept paper for forthcoming “Cures 2.0” legislation that builds on the 21st Century Cures Act (P.L. 114-255) passed in 2016 [see Washington Highlights, Dec. 8, 2016]. “Cures 2.0” aims to build upon the 2016 law’s focus on medical research and new treatments by improving and modernizing health care access and delivery.
In a joint press release, DeGette and Upton shared that the “concept paper” highlights the main areas of focus of the upcoming legislation, with the goal of the forthcoming legislation being to better prepare the nation in times of public health crises while improving health care delivery broadly.
“Our world today faces the worst public health crisis in more than a century, and Cures 2.0 offers hope for today’s pandemic and tomorrow’s challenges. It’s more important than ever that we continue our efforts to modernize the way we treat the world’s most vexing diseases,” they said in the release.
The “Cures 2.0” concept paper describes the six themes that the new legislation will likely focus on, including:
- Public health and pandemic preparedness, including increasing surveillance and testing capabilities.
- Caregiver integration into the care team.
- Patient engagement in health care decision-making.
- Diversity in clinical trials.
- Food and Drug Administration modernization including innovative clinical trial design.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services modernization including a greater ability to respond to the fast pace of technological and scientific advances.
DeGette and Upton issued a call for stakeholder input in December 2019 regarding potential issues for inclusion in a “Cures 2.0” bill, to which the AAMC submitted recommendations [see Washington Highlights, Dec. 19, 2019].