AdvaMed to Biden Administration: “Prioritize the delivery of patient care” in CHIPS Implementation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), the world’s largest trade association representing medical device manufacturers, submitted recommendations to prioritize patient care as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Commerce work to implement the CHIPS Incentive Program.
From AdvaMed’s response to the request for public comments: “AdvaMed is calling for the federal government and chips supply chain partners to prioritize the delivery of patient care by ensuring that medical device manufacturers receive the comparatively small number of chips, many of which are older generation, they need to continue operations. Failure to do so could result in further production disruptions and the inability to repair the existing healthcare infrastructure, directly impacting the ability to provide patient care.”
“Congress heeded the medtech industry’s call to make a greater investment in our domestic chips manufacturing base, but now it is up to the Biden Administration to be intentional about how those funds are allocated,” said Scott Whitaker, AdvaMed President and CEO. “If our health care industry is not prioritized in the implementation of the CHIPS Act, we could see patient health directly affected as medtech companies struggle to manufacture the lifesaving technologies that depend on an adequate supply of semiconductor chips. If we have learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that we cannot afford to ignore the flashing red lights that are warning us of an impending, but preventable, crisis.”
AdvaMed recommendations include:
- Agencies should coordinate with critical sectors, including medtech, to ensure that investments are directed towards mature nodes and technologies that power medical devices that save lives;
- The CHIPS Act must direct appropriated funds to chip manufacturers to support a secure, adequate, and continuous supply of mature semiconductors, especially as new federally incentivized domestic semiconductor facilities are constructed;
- Workforce development and educational programming should also be a large factor in the incentive program to ensure the availability of skilled workforce to support the semiconductor industry growth;
- NIST and the CHIPS office must coordinate with key allies and trading partners to avoid duplication of efforts;
- Commerce should establish a program or interagency workstream in partnership with key agencies including FDA (i.e., FDA’s Resilient Supply Chain and Shortage Prevention Program) and HHS/ASPR that evaluates the incentive program design as it relates to the evolving requirements of the U.S. healthcare system.
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AdvaMed is the world’s largest medical technology association, representing device, diagnostics, and digital technology manufacturers that are transforming health care through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures, and more effective treatments.