Rudy Yakym Says New Bill Will Improve Patient Healthcare

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Indiana Republican Congressman Rudy Yakym introduced legislation in the House that both he and his colleagues say will improve patient healthcare. The Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act was approved by the Ways and Means Committee this week with a vote of 38-3.

Yakym says this will increase access to breakthrough medical devices for Medicare patients.

“When a medical device is proven safe and effective, patients shouldn’t have to wait years to access it. This bill ensures that seniors on Medicare can benefit from FDA-designated breakthrough devices right away, while creating a clear path for continued coverage. It’s about cutting red tape, speeding access, and giving hope to those facing serious illnesses. Seniors deserve timely access to the best treatments available, especially when no other options exist,” said Yakym.

This legislation would create what Yakym calls a streamlined pathway for FDA-designated breakthrough devices to receive transitional Medicare coverage while Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts a review for a permanent coverage determination.

When speaking on the House floor Thursday, Yakym said currently after the FDA approves a new medical device, it has to go through a separate coverage determination process by CMS before it will be covered by Medicare. Yakym and his colleagues said this can cause multi-year delays for treatment options for seniors who are already facing “devastating conditions or life-threatening illnesses.”

“Faster access to these treatment options can be the difference between life and death in some cases. This bill helps foster innovation by removing burdensome red tape and getting groundbreaking medical devices to seniors faster,” said Yakym.

The bill still has to be approved by the full House before going onto the Senate.

Working with Yakym on this bill were Republican Blake Moore of Utah, Democrat Suzan Delbene of Washington, Democrat Terri Sewell of Alabama, Republican Gus Bilirakis of Florida, and Democrat Lori Trahan of Massachusetts.

Indiana Representative Rudy Yakym Says New Bill Will Improve Patient Healthcare  was originally published on wibc.com