July 26, 2022: The National Center for Health Research testified before a meeting of the National Academy of Medicine in July 2022 regarding federal policies that could improve health equity and decrease racial and ethnic disparities. There are many reasons for health inequities, but we focused on federal laws regarding diversity in clinical trials. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requires research studies to include people representing diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. NIH, CDC, SAMHSA and other federal health agencies make an effort to abide by this law. The one exception among federal public health agencies is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which encourages but does not require diversity in clinical trials. The agency’s justification is American taxpayers don’t pay for the studies – the companies that make the products pay for the studies. However, taxpayers pay for FDA staff that regulate these products, and taxpayers also pay for the products themselves.
Read More »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 Statement to CDC Advisory Committee On Breast Cancer in Young Women
August 23, 2022: Research shows that many young women are disproportionately afraid of breast cancer and that young breast cancer survivors are more afraid of recurrence than older survivors. I encourage you to think of what we can do together to help reduce that fear so that young women don’t let their fear overwhelm them as they become aware of and educated about their risks as well as their prevention and treatment options.
Read More »NCHR Letter to Senate Finance Committee on Telehealth Legislation
August 22, 2022: We urge you to act quickly to introduce and advance your telehealth legislation building on the strengths of H.R. 4040. We strongly urge that your legislation increase coverage and access to telehealth for the Medicare population, while continuing to address the underlying barriers faced by rural and underserved communities.
Read More »NCHR Comments on Broadening Coverage for Cochlear Implants
August 4, 2022. We agree that cochlear implants have been shown to improve sentence recognition, thus helping affected adults communicate better and reducing feelings of isolation. However, there are several issues that we strongly urge CMS to consider before deciding whether to broaden the national coverage.
Read More »NCHR Public Comment on AHRQ Draft Review on Partial Breast Irradiation and Whole Breast Irradiation for Breast Cancer
The National Center for Health Research supports AHRQ's draft review finding that partial breast irradiation (PBI) is effective for select early-stage breast cancer patients, with most outcomes comparable to whole breast irradiation (WBI) at 5-10 years. NCHR emphasizes the need for additional research on different PBI types and long-term outcomes at 15-20 years, particularly across diverse patient populations.
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