• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

3

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Health

Everything You Need to Know About the Massive Health Reform Law That Just Passed Congress

By
Sy Mukherjee
Sy Mukherjee
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Sy Mukherjee
Sy Mukherjee
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 7, 2016, 5:04 PM ET
483106863
Various pills lying on a white surfacePhotograph by David Malan — Getty Images

“Cures” has been a long time coming. It’s the biggest health reform legislation passed by Congress since Obamacare and has galvanized a similarly motley crew of industries and lobbying outfits—including big pharma (the legislation’s most ardent proponent), patient advocacy groups, mental health organizations, and medical researchers—who fought for its passage over the last three years. The approximately $6.8 billion bill will fund major federal initiatives like Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot program and the Obama administration’s Precision Medicine Initiative. It will also appropriate money for fighting the opioid epidemic and assist mental health patients who are in crisis and need a psychiatric bed.

Click here to subscribe to Brainstorm Health Daily, our brand new newsletter about health innovations.

Still, the law has its share of critics who aren’t quite so thrilled as the across-the-aisle victory may imply.

For instance, legislators like Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Jeff Merkley of Oregon recently warned that Cures amounts to a big pharma giveaway which will weaken regulatory standards on drugs, provide a mere pittance to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and do nothing to confront the rising tide of high drug prices. They point to the fact that the $4.8 billion in NIH funding included in Cures must be re-authorized every year, and that drug approvals which can be based on “real-world” patient outcomes (rather than rigorous clinical trials) could actually endanger patients.

The latter issue is a major point of contention among patient advocates. A number of outfits who say it will expedite the availability of treatments for unmet medical needs, including the largest cancer physician group in the U.S., hailed its passage on Wednesday. “The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) applauds the U.S. Senate for their decisive vote today to pass the 21st Century Cures Act and authorize funding for the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot and NIH Innovation Projects,” wrote the organization in a statement. “This landmark legislation will spur development and delivery of promising new treatments for patients.”

Others, such as consumer watchdog Public Citizen and the preventive medicine advocacy group Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), had very different takes, arguing Cures mostly benefits pharma companies at the expense of other important public health initiatives. “TFAH is deeply disappointed Congress will utilize [Obamacare’s] Prevention and Public Health Fund as an offset for the legislative package known as 21st Century Cures,” the group wrote in a statement. “Cutting the Prevention Fund will limit the nation’s ability to improve health and quality of life and prevent disease.”

There are even some pressure points for patient advocates who think Cures’ passage is a net societal benefit.

“There’s still some great elements in the bill, but there are also some disappointing components,” said Deanna Portero, Executive Director of the Fibrous Dysplasia Foundation, in an interview with Fortune. (Full disclosure: I’ve been friends with Portero since college.)

Portero’s organization advocates for people with the rare disease fibrous dysplasia, which causes abnormal growths in patients’ bones. She says that, while 21st Century Cures is ultimately a step forward for Americans who have no options for treating their medical conditions, the bill could have gone further to help the most vulnerable patients.

“Specifically, I think the exclusion of the OPEN Act is disappointing to the rare disease community,” she said, referring to the Orphan Product Extensions Now (OPEN) Act that was present in previous versions of the bill but left on the cutting room floor in its final form. That provision would have allowed approved drugs that win additional FDA clearances to treat rare disorders—i.e., those that affect 200,000 or fewer Americans—extended market exclusivity in the hopes that biopharma companies would be more compelled to invest in difficult-to-treat spaces that involve costly follow-on clinical trials.

There’s still plenty of questions on exactly how the FDA will interpret and implement 21st Century Cures, especially in the wake of a new administration. But it seems like it may well be the final major legislative overhaul of the Obama era.

About the Author
By Sy Mukherjee
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Health

worm
HealthFood and drink
The pest that could devastate the American cattle industry was in Texas, but now it’s in New Mexico, too
By Jeffrey Collins and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
8 hours ago
A man put a drink in front of Trump
HealthFood and drink
A Biden-era study told Americans to drink less alcohol. The Trump admin ‘sidelined’ the research facing pressure from the alcohol lobby
By Laura Ungar, Ali Swenson and The Associated PressJune 9, 2026
8 hours ago
Kaged Pre-Workout Review (2026): Athlete Approved
HealthDietary Supplements
Kaged Pre-Workout Review (2026): Athlete Approved
By Christina SnyderJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Liquid IV Review (2026): Our Personal Experience
HealthDietary Supplements
Liquid IV Review (2026): Our Personal Experience
By Christina SnyderJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Biotics 8 Review (2026): Expert Tested
HealthDietary Supplements
Biotics 8 Review (2026): Expert Tested
By Emily PharesJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Jacked Factory Authentic Whey Protein Review (2026)
HealthDietary Supplements
Jacked Factory Authentic Whey Protein Review (2026)
By Emily PharesJune 8, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
7 hours ago
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
Economy
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
By Nick LichtenbergJune 7, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.