Arthritis Foundation Continues the Dialog on Capitol Hill to Remove Barriers to Care!
One week ago, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act 51-0. The legislation will “help to modernize and personalize health care, encourage greater innovation, support research, and streamline the system to deliver better, faster cures to more patients.”
The Arthritis Foundation and its volunteers have been actively involved in pushing this legislation forward, sending letters to key parties and making visits to the Hill in support of the initiative.
The most recent version of the 21st Century Cures legislation includes three new provisions that are important to the Arthritis Foundation and the arthritis community, covering topics ranging from easing restrictions on off-label uses of drugs to including age groupings in research studies, along with a provision that addresses the extension of exclusivity periods, which is important to ensure even those with rare diseases gain access to top-notch treatments and care.