SUBJECT: 21st Century Cures Legislation
Dear Speaker Ryan and Leader Pelosi:
On behalf of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological
Surgeons (CNS), we are writing to support passage of the 21st Century Cures legislation. As you are
aware, this important legislation provides significant investments to accelerate the discovery,
development and delivery of new cures and treatments for all Americans.
Of particular importance to organized neurosurgery is the $4.8 billion for essential programs at the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), especially the funds dedicated to the Brain Research through
Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. This ground-breaking program will
revolutionize our understanding of the human brain and produce new ways to treat and cure neurologic
disorders. Additionally, the inclusion of $500 million for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will
ensure that promising and innovative technology is more rapidly available for our patients.
We also appreciate the inclusion of several provisions designed to facilitate the exchange of clinical
outcomes data between electronic health record (EHR) technologies and “clinician-led clinical data
registries.” These sections of the bill will promote and facilitate interoperability of clinical data and
prevent EHR vendors from blocking the transmission of such data to third parties — including clinician led clinical data registries — for the betterment of patient care.
Finally, we are pleased that the legislation includes $1 billion for states to prevent opioid abuse and
provide needed treatment for those suffering from this public health crisis.
Thanks to you and all those that worked tirelessly to make this final vote a reality. As Energy and
Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) has said, “We’re closing in on what’s truly a
once-in-a-generation, transformational opportunity to change the way we treat disease.”
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Read full letter here
