Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to express concern regarding both the outcome and process surrounding the Fiscal Year 2022 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final rule. 

Specifically, the Congressman is concerned that the rule threatens to remove a critical therapy option known as laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) for inoperable patients suffering from brain cancer and epilepsy. The process also failed to include stakeholder input, which sets a concerning precedent. 

"Individuals facing the challenges of epilepsy, or the tragedy of an inoperable brain tumor deserve every opportunity to seek any care available. If access to LITT is terminated, patients across the nation will suffer,” said Emmer. 

"LITT was developed in my home state of Minnesota, a place known for innovative medical technologies like the pacemaker, prosthetic heart valves, and more. We are proud of our contributions to the medical community, especially LITT, as it has become the last hope for many suffering from inoperable brain tumors and epilepsy. Limiting patient access to life-saving treatment is unconscionable. We deserve answers as to why this therapy is being threatened, and why there was not a standard public comment period,” Emmer concluded.

To read Congressman Emmer’s letter, click here.

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