Heart Rhythm Society: President's 2008 Budget Compromises Advancements in Cardiovascular Treatment
Attributable to: Dwight W. Reynolds, MD, FHRS President, Heart Rhythm Society

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Charlie Jones
Heart Rhythm Society
202-464-3474
cjones@hrsonline.org

“The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), the international leader in science, education, and advocacy for cardiac arrhythmia professionals and patients, expresses mixed feelings about President Bush’s fiscal year 2008 budget request. HRS is deeply disappointed with the Administration’s failure to call on Congress to address the broken Medicare physician payment system, which will cut physician payments by 10 percent next year and does not provide payments in line with rising practice costs. HRS is also disappointed with the proposed funding cut of over a half a billion dollars to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which will no doubt blunt the remarkable progress biomedical research has made in the detection and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, among many other diseases and conditions. HRS, however, is pleased with the Administration’s proposal for increases in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) budget and we look forward to working with Congress to further support the FDA.”

Cardiovascular diseases represent the nation's number one killer. Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained heart rhythm disorder and increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, both leading causes of death in the United States. An estimated 2.2 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and over 160,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. In addition to atrial fibrillation, over 325,000 people each year are affected with sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), another leading cause of death in the United States.

The hard numbers speak for themselves. Over the next eight years, Medicare payments to physicians will be slashed nearly 40 percent. Practice costs will increase about 20 percent over that same period. Without adequate funding, physicians cannot make needed investments in health information technology and quality improvement efforts to ensure patient access to high quality health care. The bottom line is clear cut: decreased funding for Medicare payments to physicians and research through the NIH would detrimentally affect Americans’ ability to receive critical cardiac treatment.

Since FY 2003, support for research through the NIH has declined in terms of inflation-adjusted dollars. According to updated projections released by the NIH, the Biomedical Research and Development Price Index (BRDPI) will be 3.7 percent in FY 2007 and FY 2008. These losses in NIH’s purchasing power will cut the number of grants NIH can support and harm the continuation of essential research and medical advancements being made in the cardiovascular arena.

This budget proposal’s component for FDA funding, however, is a good starting point in this tight fiscal year. The Administration’s budget request includes increases in the right areas, including a $7.2 million increase in strengthening medical device safety and review. However, a $20 million increase in FDA funding would ensure additional much needed advancements and research in device post-market surveillance, analysis and reporting. “As we look to the future, the Heart Rhythm Society pledges to continue its work with the Administration and Congress on cardiovascular and other public health issues without ever losing sight of our priority – enhancing the health of all Americans.”

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About the Heart Rhythm Society
The Heart Rhythm Society is the international leader in science, education and advocacy for cardiac arrhythmia professionals and patients, and the primary information resource on heart rhythm disorders. Its mission is to improve the care of patients by promoting research, education and optimal health care policies and standards. Incorporated in 1979 and based in Washington, DC, it has a membership of over 4,000 heart rhythm professionals in more than 60 countries around the world.