AdvaMed Welcomes Introduction of Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act
WASHINGTON—AdvaMed, the Medtech Association, welcomed introduction of the bipartisan Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2025 (S. 1702/H.R. 3288) by U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and U.S. Reps. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.). The bill provides for Medicare and Medicaid coverage of evidence-based software applications used to prevent, manage, or treat medical conditions.
“Health tech companies are developing tremendous products to treat chronic diseases and conditions and mental health disorders,” AdvaMed President and CEO Scott Whitaker said. “These digital therapeutics provide patients with access to top-of-the-line high tech remedies. By expanding access in this way, digital therapeutics not only improve patient outcomes but also can help ease the shortage of clinicians in underserved communities. The potential to reach millions more patients with these technologies is exciting. We thank Senators Capito and Shaheen and Representatives Hern and Thompson for their leadership, and we look forward to working them to help advance the legislation on both sides of the Capitol.”
“The Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act is a critical step in ensuring that patients have access to these emerging technologies that can really make a difference in improving their lives,” said Shaye Mandle, executive director of the AdvaMed Digital Health Tech division. “This will be a big win for digital health and the patients these technologies serve.”
Digital therapeutics, or DTx for short, are evidence-based treatments using software or virtual tools, some of which integrate sensors or wearables, that provide clinical benefit to patients. They are proven first-line treatments for conditions including insomnia, major depressive disorder, chronic pain, urinary incontinence, and amblyopia (lazy eye). DTx are cost-effective therapeutic interventions that can help alleviate provider challenges, such as acute shortages in mental health care, by offering remote, personalized treatment. By integrating DTx into mainstream health care, the United States can reduce health care costs, improve patient outcomes, and shift toward more sustainable models focused on long-term health and well-being.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has made progress in acknowledging the need for coverage and reimbursement of digital therapeutics but lags in creating approval pathways in this rapidly growing category. The bill would expedite the process and bring needed treatment to millions of patients.
AdvaMed’s AI Policy Roadmap recommends the coverage and reimbursement of digital therapeutics and more broadly, Algorithm-Based Health Care Services. AdvaMed’s Digital Health Tech division represents many of the companies innovating these technologies.
# # #