Endocrine Insider
November 9, 2007

On November 7, members of the Society’s Advocacy and Public Outreach Core Committee (APOCC) took to the halls of Congress to advance the Society’s advocacy agenda. Committee members focused on three main issues: support for the Society’s soon-to-be released white paper titled On Increasing Minority Participation in Clinical Research, legislation to reverse cuts to physician reimbursement for dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and the Society’s new position statement on increasing patient access to diabetes testing supplies.

APOCC members took the Society’s message on the importance of increased participation by minorities in clinical research trials to the offices of Representatives Carnahan (D-MO), Perlmutter (D-CO), Berkley (D-NV), Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Inslee (D-WA), Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), McCarthy (D-NY), Bilbray (R-CA) and Green (D-TX), and Senators Bond (R-MO) and McCaskill (D-MO). While the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires that women and minorities be included in the research it funds, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require the same of pharmaceutical companies’ drug trials when bringing new drugs to market. Without inclusion of diverse populations in clinical trials of new drugs, the safety and efficacy of these drugs cannot be verified in all populations. In an effort to address the complex issue of participation by minorities, the Society’s white paper makes recommendations for all stakeholder groups. Suggestions for Congress include the establishment of an office of minority health within the FDA to oversee the regulatory changes that the agency must implement to ensure adequate diversity in trials.

The Society’s delegates also visited House offices to raise awareness of legislation sponsored by Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) that would return reimbursement for DXA and VFA scans back to their 2006 levels. In 2006, DXA was reimbursed at approximately $140 per procedure; in 2007 it was reimbursed at only $82. Due to cuts implemented in the Deficit Reduction Act, DXA payments will be cut by 75 percent by 2010, to a level of only $35 per procedure. This will limit the ability of providers to continue to perform the test in their offices. Rep. Berkley is currently looking for House co-sponsors of this legislation, and APOCC members received support and interest from some of the members of Congress that they visited.

Finally, APOCC members mentioned the approval of a new Society position statement on patient access to diabetes supplies, and the importance of health coverage for these supplies. While many insurers provide coverage for people with diabetes, not all provide an adequate amount of supplies needed to successfully manage their disease. The Society asks that federal and state governments work to require health plans to include adequate coverage for these supplies to stave off the costly complications of the disease.

For further information on the Society’s advocacy issues, please contact the Government & Public Affairs Department at govt-prof@endo-society.org.