Bilirakis Discusses Legislation to Strengthen Medicaid

Today, the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health reviewed legislation to continue ongoing efforts to strengthen the Medicaid program.

The bills discussed would encourage more transparency, allow more patient access to clinical trials, give patients with special needs more power over their own special needs trust, and allow more participants into pilot programs using the PACE (Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) model of care.

Congressman Bilirakis discussed the importance of allowing rare disease patients broader access to clinical trials as well as the importance of the use of biomarkers to promote a more diverse patient population for clinical trials.

"There's almost no rare diseases right now that we say don't need any more clinical trials," said Dr. Boyle, of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. "We know that we can continue to make progress if we have access to these patients for trials."

"Clinical trials are crucial for the development of new therapies, cures, and treatments for all patients, especially those with rare diseases," said Bilirakis. "I am proud to co-sponsor the Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act to help open up clinical trials to a wider range of patients who need them most."

"The legislation discussed today will help further our efforts to improve Medicaid for our nation's most vulnerable patients. Our work on this important issue will continue," added Bilirakis.

Watch Congressman Bilirakis's full question and answer exchange with the panel here.

Congressman Bilirakis is a cosponsor of the Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act and H.R. 3243, a bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to clarify waiver authority regarding programs of all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE programs).

Learn more about the legislation reviewed today here.