Why the Health Tech Investment Act Matters: Peter Weems Breaks Down What This Means for Patients
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are already transforming patient care across the U.S. health care system, particularly in medical imaging, earlier disease detection, and more precise clinical decision-making. Yet despite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s authorizing hundreds of AI-enabled medical devices, many patients are still unable to benefit from these innovations due to inconsistent Medicare reimbursement policies.
In a new video developed in partnership with Patients Rising, AdvaMed’s Peter Weems, Vice President of Imaging Government Affairs and Policy Strategy, explains why the Health Tech Investment Act is critical to expanding patient access to FDA-authorized AI-enabled medical devices. The video outlines:
- What the Health Tech Investment Act would do and why it matters for Medicare beneficiaries
- How current reimbursement barriers limit adoption of FDA-authorized AI-enabled medical devices by Medicare providers
- Why bipartisan support for this legislation is essential to advancing this legislation
- How to help support its passage
AI’s role in improving patient care is already evident and increasing, particularly in radiology, where AI can help doctors and other health care professionals analyze medical images more efficiently, detect illness and abnormalities earlier, and make a more informed diagnosis. Moreover, FDA-authorized AI-enabled medical devices are poised to save the health care system resources due to enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic precision that can help drive efficient and effective care. However, limited Medicare reimbursement creates real challenges for physicians and health systems looking to integrate these proven technologies into the care continuum.
The Health Tech Investment Act seeks to address these challenges by establishing a consistent and predictable Medicare reimbursement pathway for FDA-authorized AI-enabled medical devices and algorithm-based health care services (ABHS). By creating a dedicated payment classification under Medicare’s Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System, this legislation would provide greater certainty for providers and innovators to help ensure Medicare beneficiaries can benefit from proven technologies.
Supporting this policy helps ensure that the doctors serving millions of Medicare beneficiaries have the option to consider for their patients the latest medical technology innovations that improve care and outcomes. Join us in urging policymakers to support the Health Tech Investment Act.
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