Congressional leaders introduced a bipartisan follow-up to 2016's 21st Century Cures Act, dubbed Cures 2.0, June 22. The proposal would create a new federal research agency, expand Medicare coverage and diversify clinical trials.
Here are five things to know:
- The legislation aims to create an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to research diseases like cancer or Alzheimer's. Cures 2.0 would also provide the agency, which would be structured like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, with $6.5 billion in funding.
- Cures 2.0 would seek to expand Medicare coverage for "innovative new healthcare technologies," according to a statement from co-author Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo. Part of this includes increasing Medicare coverage of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-funded clinical trials.
- The proposed legislation calls on further clinical trial diversity, including public awareness campaigns to encourage minority participation and studies to identify participatory barriers.
- The FDA would expand their collection and use of real world evidence, as well as establishing a task force to encourage patients to help generate this data.
- Cures 2.0 would include the bipartisan Telehealth Improvement for Kids' Essential Services Act, which would seek to integrate telehealth into Medicaid and CHIP. It would also remove geographic requirements from those enrolled in Medicare, allowing for telehealth services to be more accessible.
Read the discussion draft sent to Congress here and the section-by-section summary here.