Representatives Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Access to Innovative Treatments for Seniors and People with Disabilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-CA) and John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA) June 25 reintroduced the bipartisan Access to Innovative Treatments Act or AITA, a bill that would improve access to promising new treatments for seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in Medicare.

The bill would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or CMS to reconsider certain Medicare coverage decisions in a timely manner when new evidence of a drug’s effectiveness becomes available, and ensures that drugs are evaluated on an individual basis, rather than as part of a broad class. AITA does not require coverage or reimbursement of any specific drug. It instead ensures Medicare coverage decisions are based on the best available evidence and revisited as data evolves, giving patients a fairer opportunity to access innovative therapies when they need them most. This could lead to the lower out-of-pocket costs for new, expensive drugs that get covered under Medicare.

The bill addresses concerns following CMS’ decision in 2022 to deny Medicare coverage of certain FDA-approved, Alzheimer’s treatments unless patients were enrolled in clinical trials, which caused confusion and restricted access— particularly for individuals in rural and underserved communities. 

 “Patients should not be denied access to promising treatments simply because of outdated or overly broad coverage decisions. The Access to Innovative Treatments Act is necessary to ensure that Medicare keeps pace with the latest science— it creates accountability by establishing a timeline to review new evidence and giving every treatment a fair, individualized review. Thank you to Dr. Joyce for joining me to put patients first and make sure seniors and people with disabilities have a real opportunity to benefit from medical innovation, no matter where they live or what type of insurance they have,” said Congresswoman Nanette Barragán. 

Details: Find the full text of the bill HERE.