New Report on Stem Cell Legislation in NJ

A new report entitled "Stem Cell Legislation in New Jersey: A Responsible Approach to the Costs of Disability and Disease" makes the case for responsible stem cell legislation in New Jersey. The report is authored by Dr. A. Rahman Ford. The full report can be found at https://s3.amazonaws.com/cuttings/cuttingpdfs/779927/New%20Jersey%20Stem%20Cell%20Report.pdf.

As the rate of chronic illness continues to rise unabated, the field of regenerative medicine is poised to revolutionize the practice of medicine by providing potentially curative solutions to Americans’ most common ailments. Stem cell therapy, specifically, offers those with disabling, painful, difficult to treat or impossible to treat conditions the possibility of relief. But while the scientific research is robust, clinical application has been slowed by restrictive federal regulations. This means that, although certain stem cell therapies such as autologous therapies are safe, effective and have been used in private clinics for years, Americans cannot readily access them. Instead, they are forced to travel abroad at extraordinary cost for treatment to improve or save their lives.

Although the precise cost of stem cell therapy is difficult to determine – there are no reliable aggregate data and prices can vary by clinic, by condition treated, by cell type used and by number of treatments required – what is clear is that stem cell therapy is far safer and far more cost-effective than prescription pharmaceuticals or surgery. Indeed, expenditures by states and private employers on employee health care costs continue to increase annually, straining state budgets and compelling employers to re-evaluate their health care programs. The average American is also negatively impacted by the rising cost of health care, drowning in a flood of debt from medical bills that seems to accumulate endlessly. Consequently, they are often forced to choose between purchasing their prescription drugs or food to feed their families.

In the cases of all-too-pervasive conditions like chronic pain, orthopedic conditions and opioid misuse, stem cell therapy offers an option where there are no options. Spurred on by patient advocacy groups and empathetic, forward-thinking state legislators, states like Texas and Arkansas have taken the lead in enacting responsible legislation that can make stem cell therapy more accessible to its residents, while simultaneously providing safeguards to protect patients. These states’ approaches provide useful guidance as to how other states can advance their respective health care agendas to ensure that their residents receive the safe, cost-effective care they need.

The State of New Jersey should be next to pass stem cell legislation. The proposed legislation should be based on the overarching philosophy of making stem cell therapy accessible and affordable to all NJ residents. Legislation should target those New Jerseyans with serious or life-threatening conditions for which there is no recognized medical treatment. Autologous stem cell therapies – those that use a person’s own stem cells – should receive special consideration given their positive safety profile. Mandating stem cell therapy coverage for state employees should be seriously considered. Coordination between agencies such as the State Board of Medical Services and the NJ Department of Health and Human Services will ensure the promulgation of responsible regulations. This effort would be no different than that undertaken to provide sick New Jerseyans with medical marijuana.

With its advocacy for an expanded medical marijuana program, and even its outright legalization, the Murphy administration has signaled an openness to new, creative solutions to NJ’s health care problems. The leadership in the state legislature can work with the Governor to pass a stem cell law.