House committee hears bill to widen evidence standards for state health-technology reviews

House Bill 1076 would alter the Health Technology Assessment Program by changing prioritization criteria, expanding acceptable evidence for rare or life‑threatening conditions, loosening limits on re‑reviews and tightening notification timelines, proponents and opponents told the House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Jan. 22, 2025.

The bill was presented to the committee by Representative Reid, who introduced the measure on behalf of Representative Holland. "This is a bill that addresses the work of the Health Technology Clinical Committee," Reid said, adding that the change would "provide the committee with guidance and flexibility in their evaluations and allow better treatment of rare conditions in our state." The sponsor specifically cited tumor‑treating fields (TTF), a device marketed as Optune Geo for glioblastoma patients, as an example of a technology that is FDA approved and covered by Medicare but not consistently covered for state…