Guthrie Helps Introduce Bill to Help Provide Greater Access to Life-Saving Therapies

Statement

Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) helped introduce the Medicaid VBPs for Patients (MVP) Act, a bill to help provide access to life-saving treatments and cures for vulnerable patients with rare diseases.

"I'm proud to be part of this game-changing legislation that reforms Medicaid to help vulnerable populations receive access to life-saving therapies," Guthrie said. "The Medicaid VBPs for Patients Act ties the cost of a treatment directly to patient outcomes. This innovative payment model would give Medicaid beneficiaries greater access to life-saving and potential curative treatments, while also ensuring states are not on the hook for expensive and ineffective treatments. I will continue to use my background in business and current role as the Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee to put forward innovative and cost-effective solutions to improve health care for patients."

The MVP Act helps provide access to high-cost drugs, such as gene therapies, by permitting state Medicaid programs to voluntarily enter value-based purchasing (VBP) arrangements with drug manufacturers. VBP arrangements would modernize reimbursement in Medicaid by basing the price of a treatment or cure on the patient's outcome, instead of by simply the quantity of medicine consumed. These payment arrangements better align incentives in the health care system and could lead to even greater innovation in the rare disease space.

Representative Kurt Schrader (OR-05) introduced the MVP Act, and Guthrie and Representative Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) are the lead Republicans on this bill.

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