Toothless warning against stifling innovation

WASHINGTON - The technology, environment and aviation subcommittee of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee last week issued a perhaps toothless warning that "whatever we do in health care reform, we must make sure that we do nothing to harm the quality of health care that is available now or that can be made possible in future generations by the biotechnology revolution."

The committee, which is being bypassed in the congressional overhaul of health care, made its appeal in a draft position paper that identifies a series of conclusions about "how medical technology should fit into any successful health care reform proposal."...