“CMS and MACs must be held accountable and reduce uncertainty for patients, healthcare providers, and innovators alike instead of allowing critical coverage decisions to cause greater uncertainty in the future of American healthcare,” writes Peter Pitts, former associate commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in RealClear Health.
“When speaking last month at the White House, Oracle founder Larry Ellison said that the newly announced ‘Stargate’ – an artificial intelligence infrastructure project – will pave the way to the United States developing a ‘cancer vaccine.’ Well, as my grandmother used to say, ‘From his mouth to God’s ears.’
In the past, such advances have led our country to longer, healthier lives, to save premature babies, and irradicate devastating diseases. Innovators should be rewarded for propelling the future of care and treatment options for the millions of Americans. Instead, the unfortunate reality is that innovators now stand to be punished due to outdated policies governing Medicare administered by third party middlemen with financial incentive to deny access to innovative diagnostic testing.
Crucially, finding a way to eradicate cancers, one of our planet’s most devastating diseases, will be in vain without advancements in diagnostic testing. However, this comes with an urgent caveat — this future will not be fulfilled if healthcare middlemen continue to have their way.”
Read more from Peter Pitts in RealClear Health.