Advocacy and Government Affairs

In recent years the field of focused ultrasound has begun to shift from a mostly research-oriented enterprise toward clinical adoption and commercialization. We’ve also seen the creation of new and exciting fields of research that are capitalizing on the versatility of focused ultrasound to produce many different biological mechanisms of action, including tissue destruction, anti-cancer immune response, neuromodulation, localized and targeted drug delivery, transient opening of the blood-brain barrier, and many others.

But despite this progress and focused ultrasound’s immense potential to transform treatments and improve patient outcomes, it is not widely accessible. Significant barriers include lack of awareness by patients, providers, funding agencies, and policymakers. Regulatory and reimbursement hurdles also hinder the advancement of research, successful commercialization, and patient access. Through engagement with key stakeholders in our community – researchers, clinicians, patients, and industry – we identify and address the most critical challenges that are currently limiting successful commercialization and widespread patient access to focused ultrasound therapies.

Advocacy

The Foundation collaborates with leading advocacy organizations and consultants, who have the expertise and relationships to help us address these challenges. We join our partners, G2G Consulting, the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), and the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), in advancing advocacy initiatives to address:

Regulatory & Reimbursement Obstacles

  • The lag between US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) coverage
  • Coverage, coding, and payment issues
  • Access for specific patient populations, such as warfighters and veterans.

Insufficient Federal Funding

  • NIH
  • DoD-CDMRP

Lack of Key Stakeholder Awareness

  • Congress
  • Department of Health & Human Services (NIH, FDA, CMS)
  • White House
  • Veteran’s Affairs Administration
  • Department of Defense

Join Our Advocacy Team

With our partners, the Foundation has succeeded in raising the profile of focused ultrasound among key stakeholders and advocating for additional government funding for focused ultrasound research, as well as critical legislative and regulatory changes.

The Foundation and MITA have partnered to host three fly-in events on Capitol Hill, and one virtual fly-in. In February 2019, March 2020, and June 2023, passionate groups of focused ultrasound patients and physicians joined representatives from the Foundation, MITA, and industry in Washington, DC, to educate policymakers. Additionally, the Foundation and G2G Consulting hosted a virtual briefing in February 2022 aimed toward education of Congressional leaders and their staff. The briefing topics centered on established benefits of focused ultrasound, its potential in additional areas of healthcare, and the value of increasing research investment to advance this field of medicine.

Our work has included numerous Capitol Hill meetings, federal appropriations requests, comments on draft federal policies, blog posts, op-eds, and active public relations and social media campaigns.

In 2023 and beyond, there are many key legislative and administration priorities that align well with our efforts. For more information or to join in our efforts, contact Jessica Foley, PhD, Managing Director, Government Affairs at jfoley@fusfoundation.org.