HIDA Members Support The Medical Supplies For Pandemics Act During 80 Hill Meetings

Alexandria, VA, June 18, 2021 - More than 60 HIDA members and their manufacturer partners held productive meetings with U.S. Senators, House members and staff as part of HIDA’s Washington Summit.

HIDA supply chain executives participated in 80 meetings urging support from legislators for the Medical Supplies for Pandemics Act, which will better prepare the U.S. for public health emergencies.

The measure, which has been introduced in the House (H.R. 3463) and Senate (S. 1693), strengthens the partnership between the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and commercial distributors. The legislation would allow for:

• Enhanced Public/Private Partnerships: The SNS would partner with commercial distributors to manage inventory and prevent expiration of critical pandemic supplies such as PPE, test kits, and infection prevention products.
• Diversified Production: The SNS would work with manufacturers to geographically diversify production sources of medical supplies.
• Increased Investments in Surge Manufacturing Capacity: The SNS would work with manufacturers on innovative approaches to ensure there can be enhanced production of supplies during emergencies.

During the summit, Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) discussed bipartisan long-term pandemic policies. Slotkin, who has a defense and intelligence background, said the U.S. should treat the healthcare supply chain and the national stockpile as matters of national security. Hudson said the SNS model should be revisited so private companies have greater ability to replenish it.

White House Supply Chain Coordinator Tim Manning told participants that building public-private partnerships was critical. He called for review of government procurement, a new vision for the SNS, more ways to support U.S.-made critical medical products, and macro policy needs to support those efforts. He applauded the progress the nation has made in combating COVID-19, but noted that until the global pandemic is over, the U.S. pandemic isn’t over.

About HIDA
The Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) represents the country’s medical product distributors – the nation’s essential link between manufacturers and patient caregivers. HIDA members offer critical services increasing the efficiency of U.S. healthcare providers, including hospitals, nursing homes, laboratories, home care, and physician practices. For more information, visit HIDA.org.