The new policy agenda outlines priorities to accelerate medtech innovation, expand patient access to breakthrough technologies, and harness AI to improve outcomes.

AdvaMed, a global trade organization representing medical technology companies, released its Medical Innovation Agenda for the 119th Congress, outlining policy priorities to accelerate healthcare innovation and expand patient access to cutting-edge technologies. 

“In 2022, I said we were in the golden age of medical technology innovation. That is truer today than it was then. What’s more, we have the opportunity to work together to ensure that when history looks back on this era, people will call it the platinum age of medical technology innovation,” AdvaMed president and CEO Scott Whitaker writes in his opening letter to Congress introducing the Medical Innovation Agenda. “That is how quickly our industry is moving: From AI, which is already helping doctors to make more accurate cancer diagnoses, to wearable and implantable technologies that communicate in real-time with doctors. From literal tattoos that monitor and transmit vital data to a patient’s care team, to robotic surgeries administered from thousands of miles away.  

“From a policy perspective, how can we best set up our doctors, nurses, and medical technology innovators for success? How can we ensure patients live longer, healthier, and happier lives? What can you do as a champion for patients and medical innovation as a member of Congress, working with us as the Medtech Association? 

“I invite you to read our Medical Innovation Agenda for the 119th Congress through the eyes of patients. Would these bipartisan policies improve their quality of life, or extend their lives, or even save them? Our view at AdvaMed, the medtech association, is that each and every one of them would. And we ask you not only to support them—but to actively promote them.”

Policy Proposals

The Medical Innovation Agenda includes legislative and policy proposals in the following areas:

  • Support the modernization of CMS to strengthen the US position as the global leader in medtech innovation
  • Expand patient access to breakthrough medical technologies 
  • Ensure tax law keeps pace with medtech innovation 
  • Harness the power of AI to improve outcomes and increase patient access to innovative medtech
  • Strengthen the US medtech industry’s global leadership position
  • Secure American medtech supply chain resilience
  • Protect and strengthen the critical role of medical imaging in early diagnosis and patient outcomes  
  • Strengthen the regulatory process to ensure the latest medical technologies reach every patient 
  • Ensure FDA keeps pace with the speed of medtech innovation 
  • Ensure patient access to accurate diagnostic tests 
  • Boost next-gen medtech innovation through America’s start-ups

The Medical Innovation Agenda reflects the breadth and variety of medtech and AdvaMed’s recent expansion, including AdvaMed’s latest Medical Imaging and Digital Health Tech divisions, to encompass the entire industry. 

The priorities also reflect the evolving policy needs of rapidly advancing mainstays in medtech-powered diagnoses, treatment, and condition monitoring and management, from in vitro tests to surgical tools to diabetes management systems to radiation therapy. 

The policy recommendations supporting small businesses and startups respond to the fact that more than 80% of medtech companies fall in that category, often developing a single product that could provide a solution for patients but struggling to stay afloat.

Summary:

AdvaMed has released its Medical Innovation Agenda for the 119th Congress, outlining legislative and policy priorities aimed at accelerating medical technology innovation and expanding patient access to breakthrough treatments. The agenda emphasizes modernizing CMS and FDA regulations, strengthening the U.S. medtech industry’s global leadership, and securing the medtech supply chain. It also highlights the role of AI, medical imaging, and digital health technologies in improving healthcare outcomes while advocating for tax policies and regulatory frameworks that support startups and small businesses. AdvaMed’s expanded focus reflects the evolving needs of the medtech sector, from diagnostics and surgical tools to wearable and implantable technologies.

Key Takeaways:

  • Legislative Priorities Focus on Medtech Innovation – AdvaMed calls for modernizing CMS and FDA regulations, strengthening the supply chain, and ensuring policies keep pace with rapid technological advancements.
  • AI and Digital Health Take Center Stage – The agenda highlights the importance of AI-powered medtech solutions in diagnostics, treatment, and patient monitoring.
  • Support for Startups and Small Businesses – Recognizing that over 80% of medtech companies are startups, the agenda includes policy proposals to help small businesses bring innovative medical technologies to market.

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