Yesterday, Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), members of the Senate Finance Committee introduced S. 3001, an alternative to the Grassley-Wyden bill that includes health programs requiring reauthorization. In regard to PCORI, the Toomey/Crapo package eliminates both the Medicare Trust Fund and the insurance fee contributions to the PCOR Trust Fund, while authorizing regular appropriations through December 2020 at an equivalent amount to what PCORI would otherwise receive. While we don’t think this proposal has legs, we wanted you to be aware of its existence. Please see the press release, section-by-section summary, and the legislative text for more information.
Keep Pressure on Congress to Act
We must continue to convey to Congress the importance of reauthorizing PCORI for 10 more years and keeping it’s funding as close to whole as possible. We must also push for PCORI to continue with funding in any short-term extension of its authorization, which may be necessary if the House and Senate do not reach an agreement on the larger package of programs being considered for extension.
To assist in your outreach, we’ve drafted sample text for your grassroots to use in reaching out to Members of the House and Senate.
Health Care Staffer name,
My name is X, a constituent in X / title and organization. I am writing to urge you and your boss to support reauthorization of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) both in the short-term and long-term. While PCORI’s original authorization expired at the end of September, its authorization has been extended through the two Continuing Resolutions (CRs) that expire on December 20.
In the short-term, should there be a need for another CR to finish the annual spending bills, please include funding for PCORI. While the two previous CRs extended PCORI’s authorization it has done so without new funding for FY2020. Without new funding, PCORI cannot fund new research and their infrastructure could be destabilized through staff losses.
In the long-term, please support a 10-year reauthorization of PCORI that maintains its funding and its ability to carry out patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research.
As of June 2019, PCORI has awarded more than $2.4 billion in grants and contracts to more than 700 research-related projects in 44 states across the U.S. Among PCORI’s signature achievements in its first 10 years has been the creation of a new paradigm for conducting research that better integrates patient perspectives. PCORI research provides a wealth of valuable data for patients and health care providers, while also informing how the health care system can be more efficient.
[Insert your own experience with PCORI and/or its research results]
Thank you for your attention to this important matter,
Your Name
