We’re Speaking Out on Health Issues

NCHR scientists and health policy experts provide written and oral statements on a wide range of topics.

Here are many of the ways we have been Speaking Out on Health Policy Issues for the last few years. Whether the topic is legislation intended to cure diseases, proposed bans on BPA or other chemicals that disrupt your hormones, the importance of including women, people of color, and patients over 65 in clinical trials, or many other topics, you’ll gain a better understanding of our evidence-based analyses by reading these letters, statements, and testimony.

Here are the ways we have been Speaking out on Medical Treatments and Products, such as prescription drugs and medical devices that the FDA is considering approving, or is considering taking off the market because of serious risks. Whether the topic is Chantix, Addyi, Yaz, Essure, or medical products you’ve never heard of, you can find out more about what is known and not known about the safety and effectiveness of a wide range of products by looking through this section of our website.

Dr. Diana Zuckerman Testifies at FDA Advisory Committee on Digital Health

NCHR’s Dr. Diana Zuckerman testified at the FDA Advisory Committee meeting on Digital mental health products, expressing concerns about FDA’s failure to regulate the Chatbots and other digital products being marketed as “licensed therapists” and used as psychotherapists in ways that can be extremely harmful. She urged better research but acknowledged difficulty of studying devices that are updated frequently

NCHR Comments on Development of Non-Opioid Analgesics for Chronic Pain

National Center for Health Research submitted a written public comment to the FDA docket that advised the agency on the kinds of research needed to ensure that non-opioid pain medications are safe and effective for chronic pain and patients can make informed choices. We point out that it would be unethical to conduct studies that compare these products to opioids in clinical trials.

Are Playgrounds In Your Community Safe?

The Well News, October 28, 2025: This oped by Dr. Diana Zuckerman explains why PIP and other rubber playground and play surfaces for young children can cause obesity, early puberty, asthma, learning problems, and eventually cancer because they contain PFAS, other hormone-disrupting chemicals, and lead. She explains why claims that these materials are proven safe are inaccurate, and that most of the chemicals in these products are not publicly reported or tested. Children can be exposed day after day and year after year, and very young children get the residue on their hands and may put pieces of the recycled rubber tire crumb in their mouths, ears, and noses. Engineered wood fiber is the safe, ADA compliant alternative.

NCHR Comments on Coverage of Colorectal Cancer Non-Invasive Biomarker Screening Tests

NCHR public comment tells CMS that the ColoSense multi-target mRNA stool-based colorectal cancer screening test needs better evidence to qualify for Medicare NCD coverage. The study sample included 3x the average number of smokers in the U.S. and since smoking increases the chances of colon cancer, that may have biased the results to make the test seem more accurate than it really is. Too many false positives or false negatives would make the test much less useful for patients.

NCHR Comments on Risks and Benefits of Menopause Hormone Therapy

In response to a request for public comments, NCHR tells FDA that hormones for menopause have cancer risks and benefits, depending on when women take them and what type of hormones. Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) doesn’t decrease dementia or heart disease. Vaginal hormone creams have short-term benefits but any long-term risks are unknown.