AdvaMed Congratulates HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

AdvaMed, the Medtech Association, today released the following statement from President and CEO Scott Whitaker on the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

“We congratulate Secretary Kennedy on his confirmation to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In his confirmation hearings, Secretary Kennedy emphasized his aim to fight the chronic disease epidemic and help Americans avoid prolonged treatments and hospitalizations. He expressed his hope to achieve the President’s goal of improving the health of every American. Our industry shares that goal. It is our entire mission. And we stand ready to help Secretary Kennedy to establish the policy landscape necessary for our medical technology innovators to achieve this mutually shared goal through the very innovation that has made our country the global leader in medtech.

“Secretary Kennedy will oversee the FDA, which is critical to maintaining our position as the most innovative country in the world with respect to the medical technologies that save countless lives daily. HHS also oversees CMS, which manages Medicare, the nation’s largest health care insurer. Medicare coverage and reimbursement decisions determine whether its beneficiaries will have access to procedures driven by life-changing, lifesaving medtech. These critical decisions impact not only the 67 million people covered by Medicare but every American.

“The medical technology industry is the backbone of our health care system. Our innovations in the hands of doctors and nurses in every care setting are essential to ensuring that America gets back on track to healthier and longer lives. We look forward to sharing with Secretary Kennedy and his team how medtech brings tremendous value to patients and the U.S. health care system.”

For more on how medtech has saved and improved lives, from adding five years to life expectancy to cutting fatalities from heart disease and stroke by 49 percent to reducing the number of days spent in the hospital, please see our medtech industry facts.