AdvaMed Leaders Stress the Importance of Innovation, FDA Reform, and ExportsAdvaMed Leaders Stress the Importance of Innovation, FDA Reform, and Exports

At AdvaMed 2011, AdvaMed board chairman Jim Mazzo and CEO Steve Ubl sat down with the press to outline their goals for the medical sevice industry and explain how the association would try to influence policy on Capitol Hill. At the fore of their presentation was innovation and securing the United States' position (and rightfully so, of course). Mazzo outlined AdvaMed's competitiveness agenda as a six-item plan.

September 26, 2011

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At AdvaMed 2011, AdvaMed board chairman Jim Mazzo and CEO Steve Ubl sat down with the press to outline their goals for the medical sevice industry and explain how the association would try to influence policy on Capitol Hill. At the fore of their presentation was innovation and securing the United States' position (and rightfully so, of course). Mazzo outlined AdvaMed's competitiveness agenda as a six-item plan, as follows:

  1. Innovation must be a government priority.

  2. FDA needs review reform.

  3. The payment policy must support innovation.

  4. Exports must grow.

  5. Strategic tax policies should support R&D-intensive industries.

  6. R&D must be sustained and improved.

Over the next few days, I hope to learn more about AdvaMed and industry's ideas on these principles. Another item discussed was the device tax. Ubl clarified that AdvaMed supports healthcare reform, but said that the device tax runs counter to the jobs policy. In addition, user fees were bandied about. Mazzo had the right idea, saying that throwing money at the problem won't work unless FDA can fix the systemic issues.

Heather Thompson

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