Cures 2.0 Act Would Expand on the Successes of 21st Century Cures Legislation
Building on the success of the 21st Century Cures Act passed in 2016, U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Fred Upton (R-MI) have begun work on the follow-up Cures 2.0 Act (https://degette.house.gov/sites/degette.house.gov/files/Cures%202.0%20Concept%20Paper_0.pdf), intended to “safely and efficiently modernize the delivery of health care in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic,” the representatives said (https://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/degette-unveils-roadmap-for-updated-cures-act) in a press release.
The new bill will be based on six key areas identified from more than 500 stakeholder-submitted comments:
- Public health and pandemic preparedness
- Caregiver integration
- Patient engagement in healthcare decision-making
- Diversity in clinical trials
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration modernization
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services modernization
ONS supported the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016, which was directed at funding a number of initiatives, including access to care, research and drug development, behavioral health, and electronic health records information handling.
“Thanks to the 21st Century Cures Act, we’re able to better prevent and screen cancer, we have a better understanding of the human brain, and we’re improving the field of stem cell science. We’ve seen a record number of new drugs approved, including new generics, which have helped lower health care costs for millions of Americans. And we’re on the cusp of finding a cure for sickle cell,” DeGette and Upton said (https://degette.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/degette-unveils-roadmap-for-updated-cures-act). “But despite these successes, there’s still much more work to be done.”