White House urged to promote health care innovation; Feds prepare $25 million in malpractice grants

The Hill: A medical device trade group and former lawmaker separately called on the White House to do more to promote life-saving medical innovation this week. "In separate events Wednesday and Thursday, former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) and Stephen Ubl, the head of the medical device trade group AdvaMed, called on the Obama administration to task a federal office with promoting U.S. innovation." They argued that "innovation faces mounting challenges, such as international competition, poor science education and dwindling venture capital investment, because of growing uncertainties with regulations and payment rates in public programs such as Medicare. Such challenges are described in two new reports by the Lewin Group and Battelle that accompanied Ubl's and Gephardt's calls for action" (Pecquet, 6/10).

The Wall Street Journal: "The government is set to begin handing out $25 million in grants Friday aimed at reducing medical malpractice lawsuits, part of a compromise offered by President Barack Obama last year in response to calls for an overhaul of the malpractice system. During last year's health debate, Republicans criticized the president for not addressing the rising cost of medical liability lawsuits as part of his sweeping health overhaul legislation. The final health bill passed in March included only limited measures aimed at curbing such lawsuits" (Adamy, 6/11).