AdvaMed, the trade association representing medical technology companies, has released its Medical Innovation Agenda for the 119th Congress, outlining policy priorities aimed at advancing healthcare innovation and expanding patient access to emerging medical technologies.

AdvaMed President and CEO Scott Whitaker introduced the agenda with a call to action for lawmakers. “In 2022, I said we were in the golden age of medical technology innovation. That is truer today than it was then,” Whitaker wrote. “What’s more, we have the opportunity to work together to ensure that when history looks back on this era, people will call it the platinum age of medical technology innovation.”

The agenda outlines key legislative and policy proposals, including:

Modernizing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to strengthen U.S. leadership in medical technology
Expanding patient access to breakthrough medical innovations
Aligning tax policies with the pace of medtech advancements
Leveraging artificial intelligence to improve outcomes and access
Strengthening global competitiveness and supply chain resilience
Supporting the role of medical imaging in early diagnosis and treatment
Enhancing the regulatory framework to accelerate patient access to new technologies
Ensuring the FDA keeps pace with industry innovation
Improving access to accurate diagnostic tests
Supporting medtech startups and small businesses

AdvaMed’s agenda reflects the industry’s increasing reliance on AI, digital health, and advanced imaging. The organization recently expanded its scope with new divisions focused on medical imaging and digital health technology, highlighting their growing role in patient care.

The policy recommendations also acknowledge the challenges faced by small medtech companies, which make up over 80% of the industry. Many of these businesses focus on a single product with the potential to transform patient care but often struggle with regulatory and financial hurdles.

AdvaMed is urging lawmakers to consider the agenda through the lens of patient outcomes. “Would these bipartisan policies improve their quality of life, or extend their lives, or even save them?” Whitaker wrote. “Our view at AdvaMed is that each and every one of them would.”