President Barack Obama is set to sign off on a medical bill that will fund cancer research, the fight against opioid abuse, mental health treatments and helps the FDA speed up drug approvals.
Last week, the Senate voted to pass the 21st Century Cures Act, sending it to the president’s desk for approval.
“I doubt that there is a family in America who will not be touched by this important legislation,” said Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, New York Times reported last week.
Once approved, the bill will provide the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with $4.8 in funding. About $1.8 billion of that budget will fund Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative which is aimed toward speeding up cancer research progress.
"We are now one step closer to ending cancer as we know it, unlocking cures for diseases like Alzheimer's, and helping people seeking treatment for opioid addiction finally get the help they need," Obama said, NBC News reported.
While the bill is set to benefit cancer research, pregnant women, hospitals, children being bullied, the legislation is a huge win for the mental health industry. The president will create a new assistant secretary for mental health and substance use, in addition to providing more resources to children and adults with severe behavioral issues by expanding outpatient treatment.
Sourced from NBCNews and New York Times