The National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF) strongly supports the Maintaining Investments in New Innovation (MINI) Act, being discussed in Congress, because it preserves incentives to develop the next generation of genetically targeted therapies while protecting long-term access to life-saving treatments for Hispanic and other underserved communities. Congress should ensure that qualifying genetically targeted technologies receive a Medicare negotiation timeline that reflects the substantial scientific investment required to develop them.
Medical innovation is transforming healthcare through therapies that target the specific genetic and molecular causes of disease. These precision medicines offer new hope for patients living with cancer, rare diseases, neurological disorders, and other serious chronic illnesses. However, many genetically targeted therapies require years of research, significant financial investment, and highly specialized development pathways that more closely resemble biologic medicines than traditional small-molecule drugs.
The MINI Act addresses this challenge by providing qualifying genetically targeted technologies with additional time before becoming eligible for Medicare drug price negotiations. This policy recognizes that these therapies often require investment levels comparable to biologics and should be afforded a development timeline that reflects that reality. By maintaining strong incentives for innovation, Congress can help ensure that patients continue to benefit from future medical breakthroughs while preserving access to today’s treatments.
For Hispanic communities, continued medical innovation is a matter of health equity. Hispanic patients continue to face disproportionate burdens from chronic disease, cancer, and many conditions that stand to benefit from advances in precision medicine. Policies that encourage continued research and development help ensure our communities are not left behind as medicine becomes increasingly personalized.
NHHF believes that affordability and innovation are complementary goals. Patients deserve access to today’s medicine while also benefiting from tomorrow’s discoveries. The MINI Act represents a balanced approach that supports both objectives by preserving incentives to develop new therapies without undermining Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices in the future.