Manatee Review

Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, has led a letter urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to support digital health tools for Medicare beneficiaries. The initiative is supported by Congressman Schweikert (R-AZ) and Congresswoman Steel (R-CA).

"As a champion of medical innovation, I am concerned about CMS’ current approach toward digital health tools," stated Congressman Buchanan. He emphasized that CMS's existing assessment discourages innovative technologies, calling for these innovations to be integrated into Medicare beneficiaries' care.

The current methodology by CMS poses significant barriers to adopting digital health innovations. This issue continues to hinder meaningful reforms in Medicare payments.

Earlier this year, the House Ways and Means Committee Republicans conducted a roundtable on AI use in healthcare. Following discussions with committee members and participants, Buchanan expressed optimism about utilizing AI technologies in healthcare.

Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) is highlighted as crucial for clinical communication and analyzing medical data swiftly. "I have consistently championed innovation in healthcare," said Congresswoman Steel, expressing her support for modernizing the Medicare program through new technologies.

Kyle Williams, CEO of MD Revolution, remarked on SaMD's importance: "Classifying Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) as a direct expense is essential." He noted its role in diagnostics and patient monitoring while advocating fair compensation for physicians using these technologies.

Robert Longyear from Avenue Health identified reimbursement as the primary barrier to adopting SaMD: "Encouraging the use of validated SaMD technologies...has the potential to revolutionize care delivery."

Brian Scarpelli from Connected Health Initiative praised Buchanan’s efforts: "The Connected Health Initiative applauds this effort by Chairman Buchanan."

In addition to his roles within the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Buchanan chairs the Health Subcommittee overseeing various Medicare programs.

Buchanan's letter to CMS addresses concerns over practice expense methodology affecting digital health innovation uptake. It urges CMS to evolve its methodology reflecting software value in improving patient care efficiency.

The letter calls on CMS to act on these recommendations during its Calendar Year 2025 Physician Fee Schedule rulemaking process and launch broader reforms ensuring better access to SaMD solutions for Medicare beneficiaries.