“Encouraging Continuing Medical Education For Physicians” Incorporated Into Newly Updated 21st Century Cures Discussion Draft

Notable updates to January's Draft include bipartisan concessions: New provisions to increase NIH funding; removal of provisions for increased exclusivity periods.  Today, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released an updated discussion draft of 21st Century Cures legislation (view the legislative text, whittled from 400 pages to 199 pages since January); a section-by-section explainer; and a 1-page summary). “The yearlong 21st Century Cures listening session explored the complete cycle of cures – from the discovery of clues in basic science, to the development of new treatments, to the delivery of those cures, and back again to further discovery,” the House notes in the press release for the new bill. Unlike January’s release of the draft, which Democrats did not formally endorse, today's document  is issued as a bipartisan bill by Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO), Full Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Health Subcommittee Chairman Joe Pitts (R-PA), and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Gene Green (D-TX). Concessions: NIH Funding In; Market Exclusivity Out One of the most notable new aspects of the bill—clearly evidenced as the lead off provision—is that the 21st Century Cures bill would raise NIH funding to $31.8 billion in 2016 and to $34.85 billion in 2018. The bill would also create an NIH Innovation Fund of $2 billion ...
Source: Policy and Medicine - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs