Hanna supports bill to advance research, funding for cancer, Alzheimer’s, rare diseases
U.S. Representative Richard Hanna last night voted in favor of H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act. The sweeping public health bill gives the National Institutes of Health the ability to perform more research into rare and intractable diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s and other incurable diseases.
The Cures Act increases funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $4.8 billion over 10 years and funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by $500 million over 10 years. Money directed to the NIH will be divided between the Precision Medicine Initiative, cancer research programs, and the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. The FDA funding will be focused on reducing the time that it takes to get a medical treatment from the lab to patients.
“I have worked on passing the 21st Century Cures Act since it was introduced a year and a half ago,” Rep. Hanna said. “Patients don’t have time to wait, they need cures now. More funding for research and reformed approval methods for new treatments could be the key to curing the thousands of diseases that afflict patients throughout the country and those right here in upstate New York.”
OPIOID ADDICTION, MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT
The Cures Act also provides $1 billion in funding for grants to treat opioid addiction and abuse, primarily through prescription drug monitoring programs and the implementation of new abuse prevention programs.
In addition to the money the bill provides for medical innovation and the opioid epidemic, it also includes key portions of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, one of the most significant reforms in how the federal government addresses mental health care in years. The bill reauthorizes successful grants for treating mental illnesses, gives states the ability to direct grant money as they see fit and creates a new position to head the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to better direct and evaluate the efficacy of existing programs.
H.R. 34 also contains several other broadly supported measures that have already passed the House or Senate that protect and improve health care choices for Americans. Measures like the CAH Act and the PADME Act delay burdensome Medicare provisions that could jeopardize access to care for rural beneficiaries. Others provisions preserve options for private insurance coverage, such as the Small Business Health Care Relief Act that allows firms with less than 50 employees to utilize health reimbursement arrangements without the penalty that is now imposed by the Affordable Care Act.
“The Cures package approved by the House is not only a step toward treating rare diseases, but also gives our communities the money and tools to prevent opioid abuse and care for family, friends and neighbors who suffer from serious mental illness,” Rep. Hanna added. “Combined with popular bipartisan fixes to maintain access to health care, 21st Century Cures is a long overdue boost to medical innovation and the quality of patient care in the United States.”
CURES MOVES TO SENATE
The House approved the measure Wednesday evening by a vote of 392 to 26. The Senate is expected to take up the bill next week and upon passage, it will be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
This bill will also bring much needed healthcare relief to small businesses! Once signed by the President, small businesses (with less than 50 employees) will now be allowed to legally reimburse employees for premiums and out of pocket expenses. As small businesses are increasingly getting priced out of group health insurance, I encourage all small employers to learn more about how this legislation can impact their business.