MITA Praises Senate For Medical Device User Fee Payment Focus

The Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) today praised U.S. policymakers for their continued attention to the issue of medical device user fee payment. The industry group formally expressed its sentiments following this morning’s hearing on the topic held by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. In a statement, MITA Executive Director David Fisher notes that the alliance shared, at the hearing, the committee members' concerns that device review performance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deteriorated, leading to longer overall review times and less timely access to medical innovations. MITA is committed to continued collaboration with regulators, industry partners, and other stakeholders to achieve the goal of a stable, clear, and timely medical device clearance process, Fisher asserts. MITA is participating in ongoing negotiations with the FDA to reauthorize the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act. It is seeking improved FDA performance in that effort, according to Fisher. Earlier this month, MITA issued a statement criticizing the imaging cut in the proposed 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Fisher explains in the statement the alliance’s concern that further reimbursement reductions would restrict patients’ access to care and new technologies.