House Panels Advance Health Legislation – The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a markup of healthcare legislation on Thursday; each of the following bills was advanced unanimously:
- R. 4348, to reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act;
- R. 4541, the EARLY Act Reauthorization of 2025;
- R. 3747, the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training Act;
- R. 8209, the School-Based Health Centers Reauthorization Act;
- R. 5160, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act;
- R. 2001, to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a grant program for addressing dental workforce needs;
- R. 1493, to reauthorize and make improvements to Federal programs relating to the prevention, detection, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, and for other purposes;
- R. 3491, the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act;
- R. 6238, the NIH IMPROVE Act;
- R. 8205, the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Reauthorization Act;
- R. 2715, the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act;
- R. 2821, the FDA Modernization Act 3.0;
- R. 5347, the Health Care Efficiency Through Flexibility Act; and
- R. 1703, the Choices for Increased Mobility Act.
The House Ways and Means Committee also advanced healthcare related legislation last week:
- R. 3164, the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act (previously known as the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act);
- R. 8163, the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act;
- R. 8875, the Improving Home Dialysis Act;
- R. 8883, the Protecting Seniors and Stopping Fraudsters Act; and
- R. 8871, the DME Scammer Prevention Act.
The committee had been expected to consider legislation to require nonprofit hospitals to report more details on income, charity care expenditures, advertising, community benefits, and quality improvement, but the bill was reportedly dropped from the markup due to push back from the hospital industry.
The House Education and Workforce Committee advanced H.R. 7895, the PMB Kickback Prohibition Act, and H.R. 8684, the Transparency in Bill Act. H.R. 7895 would prohibit pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from paying kickbacks or referral fees to brokers, consultants, advisors, or similar intermediaries in exchange for directing employer health plan or insurer business to the PBM. H.R. 8684 would require hospitals to include a unique national provider identifier when submitting a claim for hospital outpatient department services so payers can determine the setting in which the care was delivered.
House Committee Leaders Request Explanation of Part D Cost Increase – House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.), and Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) have sent a letter to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) regarding the agency’s recent projection of Medicare Part D expenditures. The letter specifically concerns technical changes in CBO’s Budget and Economic Outlook: 2026 to 2036. “When Democrats passed the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), CBO projected its Medicare drug provisions would reduce spending by $129 billion. Now, CBO estimates Medicare Part D spending will be $600 billion higher than projected just last year, driven by a 35% increase in per-enrollee costs. Something doesn’t add up,” the letter argues. “We need CBO to provide a clear accounting of this massive increase in projected spending and apparent reversal in their views on the impact of the IRA.”
Dems Introduce Resolutions to Block WISeR – Democrats in both chambers of Congress have introduced Congressional Review Act resolutions of disapproval to overturn the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center’s Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model. The year-long pilot program, which launched on January 1 in Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington, uses artificial intelligence to apply prior authorization for 13 medical services deemed low-value or vulnerable to misuse. Legislators have 60 days to force a vote on the resolution of disapproval to repeal the model. The Senate resolution is led by Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and the House resolution was introduced by Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and Greg Landsman (D-Ohio).
Wyden Previews Focus on Strengthening Long-term Care – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a Dear Colleague letter last week previewing Democrats’ focus on expanding and improving home care and nursing home services. “Finance Committee minority staff will develop policies that directly confront the long-term care access and affordability crisis, addressing the misalignment of lacking supply and intense demand for these services,” Sen. Wyden writes. He goes on to highlight community volunteer models, stronger industry oversight, and improved workforce wages, benefits, and training as policy solutions to explore. The letter, which was signed by 16 other Democratic senators, states that the lawmakers will release more details in the coming weeks and months about their specific policy proposals.
Durbin Urges Kennedy to Oppose Recent Vape Authorizations – Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has written to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding the Trump administration’s recent authorization of flavored vaping products and new guidance to allow unauthorized vapes to remain on the market. Sen. Durbin frames the decisions as contrary to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again agenda and warns that they will jeopardize recent improvements in the national youth smoking rate. “Nothing that we know about e-cigarettes suggests that they will Make America Healthy Again. Quite the opposite, as they continue to perpetuate tobacco use, which remains the number one cause of preventable death in this country,” he writes. “While we may not agree on many issues of public health, it is my sincere hope that we can agree on the importance of protecting children from nicotine addiction.”
Democratic States Challenge New Graduate Student Loan Limits – A coalition of Democratic-controlled states is suing the Department of Education over a final rule capping federal borrowing limits for graduate students, including healthcare professionals. The regulation in question goes into effect July 1 and would implement the lower graduate school borrowing limits established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The law sets a cap of $50,000 annually, or $200,000 total, for professional degree programs, and $20,500 annually, or $100,000 total, for graduate degree programs. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Maryland, argues that the rule does not align with congressional intent and is in violation of the Administration Procedure Act.
USPSTF Leadership Dismissed – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dismissed two vice chairs of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The terminations of Chair John Wong and Deputy Chair Esa Davis were effective immediately; their dismissal letters explained that the action was “administrative in nature” and “not to be understood as a removal based on…leadership or contributions. To the contrary, the Department is taking this step to help protect the Task Force and preserve confidence in the continuity and durability of its work.” USPSTF now has just eight out of 16 sitting members; HHS has not appointed replacements for the five members who saw their terms expire at the beginning of this year. A solicitation for nominations to serve on USPSTF was issued in April with a deadline for submissions of May 23. Given the dismissal of Wong and Davis, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Director Roger Klein will be responsible for selecting the new task force members. While USPSTF usually meets three times a year, HHS has cancelled three of its four scheduled meetings since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. USPSTF is responsible for determining which preventive medical services are recommended and therefore must be fully covered by insurers, as established by the Affordable Care Act.
HHS Rescinds Amended ACIP Charter – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has rescinded the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice’s (ACIP) new charter as a result of an administrative error. The charter had recently been amended to broaden the range of expertise for individuals qualified to serve on the committee and may have allowed Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. more flexibility to circumvent a recent federal court decision blocking the ACIP appointments he made between June and January 2025. HHS did not provide the appropriate amount of time for public comment before issuing the new charter in April, and will return ACIP to its original framework for the next two years.
Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies markup of FY27 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill; 8:00 a.m.; June 5
House Appropriations Committee markup of FY27 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill; 11:00 a.m.; June 9
Recently Introduced Health Legislation
H.R.8869 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize research on the impacts of traumatic birth experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder on mothers, infants, and families; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.8867 – To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a public education initiative on the need for individuals to plan for their long-term care; Sponsor: Suozzi, Thomas R. [Rep.-D-NY-3]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce
H.R.8865 – To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to exclude providers convicted of certain fraud-related criminal offenses from participation in Federal health care programs on a permanent basis; Sponsor: Stauber, Pete [Rep.-R-MN-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.8857 – To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to adjust which engineered cyclic peptides are qualifying single source drugs for purposes of the Drug Price Negotiation Program; Sponsor: Morelle, Joseph D. [Rep.-D-NY-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.8852 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health to design and implement a program to study the health effects of nuclear radiation on women; Sponsor: Lawler, Michael [Rep.-R-NY-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.Res.1297 – Expressing support for the designation of May 17, 2026, as “Necrotizing Enterocolitis Awareness Day”. Sponsor: Thompson, Mike [Rep.-D-CA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.Res.1295 – Expressing support for the designation of May 17, 2026, as “DIPG Awareness Day” to raise awareness and encourage research into cures for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and pediatric cancers in general. Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
S.4550 — A bill to authorize appropriations for data collection, surveillance, and research on maternal health outcomes during public health emergencies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Warren, Elizabeth [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.4552 — A bill to address maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [Sen.-D-NY]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.J.Res.192 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to “Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model”; Sponsor: Wyden, Ron [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary
S.4566 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require coverage under State plans under the Medicaid program for annual lung cancer screening with no cost sharing for individuals for whom screening is recommended by U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, to expand coverage under Medicaid of counseling and pharmacotherapy for cessation of tobacco use, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.4568 — A bill to amend the definition of professional student in the Higher Education Act of 1965; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
H.J.Res.187 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to “Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model”; Sponsor: Landsman, Greg [Rep.-D-OH-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce
H.R.8871 — DME Scammer Prevention Act of 2026; Sponsor: Bean, Aaron [Rep.-R-FL-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.8875 — Improving Home Dialysis Act of 2026; Sponsor: Miller, Carol D. [Rep.-R-WV-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.8883 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for additional oversight of hospice programs and home health agencies under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Van Duyne, Beth [Rep.-R-TX-24]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce
H.R.8890 — To amend the Public Health Services Act, commonly referred to as the “Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments” or “CLIA”, with respect to laboratory developed tests, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Dunn, Neal P. [Rep.-R-FL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.8891 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to exclude certain beds from counting as acute care inpatient beds for critical access hospitals under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Feenstra, Randy [Rep.-R-IA-4]; Committees: House – Ways and Means
H.R.8907 — To direct the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement the Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project to test various payment models with respect to maternity care provided to pregnant and postpartum individuals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.8908 — To amend subsection (q) of section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify the process for denying certain petitions whose primary purpose is to delay the approval of an application submitted under subsection (b)(2) or (j) of such section 505, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sorensen, Eric [Rep.-D-IL-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
S.Res.743 — A resolution supporting the designation of May 3 through May 9, 2026, as “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week”; Sponsor: Husted, Jon [Sen.-R-OH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.Res.744 — A resolution expressing support for designation of the month of May 2026 as “Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Collins, Susan M. [Sen.-R-ME]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary
S.Res.746 — A resolution designating May 2026 as “National Brain Tumor Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Daines, Steve [Sen.-R-MT]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
S.4582 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the designation of general surgery shortage areas, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.4583 —A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a Medicare payment option for patients and eligible professionals to freely contract, without penalty, for Medicare fee-for-service items and services, while allowing Medicare beneficiaries to use their Medicare benefits; Sponsor: Paul, Rand [Sen.-R-KY]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.4587 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include dietary supplements as qualified medical expenses; Sponsor: Cramer, Kevin [Sen.-R-ND]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.4612 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a public awareness campaign with respect to screening for type 1 diabetes, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Shaheen, Jeanne [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
H.R.8916 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to jointly award grants for the purposes of improving access to, developing, or expanding services that provide an individual with transportation to or from substance use disorder treatment or supportive services; Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Financial Services
H.R.8923 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a 2-year demonstration program for hospitals to provide outpatient observation services to Medicare beneficiaries at home; Sponsor: Castor, Kathy [Rep.-D-FL-14]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce
H.R.8930 — To assess the biotechnology workforce needs of certain Federal agencies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Khanna, Ro [Rep.-D-CA-17]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform
H.R.8933 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include dietary supplements as qualified medical expenses; Sponsor: LaHood, Darin [Rep.-R-IL-16]; Committees: House – Ways and Means
H.R.8938 — To direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out activities to support biotechnology workforce pathways and alignment with Federal research investments, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McCormick, Richard [Rep.-R-GA-7]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology
H.R.8939 — To direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health to conduct a study and submit to Congress a report on the development of a standardized, noninvasive test for HPV in men, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McIver, LaMonica [Rep.-D-NJ-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.8942 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require hospitals receiving payment for direct graduate medical education costs under the Medicare program to report information with respect to the citizenship status of residents in an approved medical residency training program; Sponsor: Steube, W. Gregory [Rep.-R-FL-17]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce
H.R.8943 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to prohibit payments for graduate medical education costs attributable to individuals who are not citizens or nationals of the United States under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Steube, W. Gregory [Rep.-R-FL-17]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce
H.Res.1310 — Expressing support for continued efforts to safeguard Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal health care programs from fraud, waste, abuse, and improper payments through strengthened program integrity measures, enhanced oversight, and coordinated enforcement actions, and recognizing the work of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans to investigate and prosecute fraud and protect taxpayer dollars and preserve the long-term sustainability of the Nation’s health care safety net; Sponsor: Finstad, Brad [Rep.-R-MN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.Res.1311 — Expressing support for the designation of May 2026 as “Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Harder, Josh [Rep.-D-CA-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.Res.1318 — Expressing support for the designation of the month of May 2026 as “Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Subramanyam, Suhas [Rep.-D-VA-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.J.Res.189 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to “Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations”; Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce
H.R.8961 — To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to provide for a public awareness campaign for schools regarding youth suicide prevention resources, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carter, Troy A. [Rep.-D-LA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.8967 — To provide for an extension of the rural community hospital demonstration program; Sponsor: Feenstra, Randy [Rep.-R-IA-4]; Committees: House – Ways and Means
H.R.8978 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to promote comprehensive campus mental health and suicide prevention plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mannion, John W. [Rep.-D-NY-22]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce
H.R.8979 — To effectively staff the high-need public elementary schools and secondary schools of the United States with school-based mental health services providers; Sponsor: Mannion, John W. [Rep.-D-NY-22]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce
H.R.8981 — To establish in the National Institute of Standards and Technology a program of measurement research for engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and biometrology, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McClain Delaney, April [Rep.-D-MD-6]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology
H.R.8986 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to allow for the designation of certain facilities as critical access hospitals under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Newhouse, Dan [Rep.-R-WA-4]; Committees: House – Ways and Means
H.R.8989 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out demonstration programs to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based strategies to prevent suicide among children and adolescents, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pettersen, Brittany [Rep.-D-CO-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.9000 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a public awareness campaign with respect to screening for type 1 diabetes, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schrier, Kim [Rep.-D-WA-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.9001 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a demonstration project on coverage by the Department of Veterans Affairs of over-the-counter hearing aids, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Self, Keith [Rep.-R-TX-3]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
H.R.9002 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend the Quality Payment Program-Small Practice, Underserved, and Rural Support program; Sponsor: Stansbury, Melanie A. [Rep.-D-NM-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.9005 — To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to make temporary zero-percent interest loans under the community facilities direct loan program to construct or renovate certain rural hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tokuda, Jill N. [Rep.-D-HI-2]; Committees: House – Agriculture
S.4641 – Count a period of receipt of outpatient observation services in a hospital toward satisfying the 3-day inpatient hospital requirement for coverage of skilled nursing facility services under Medicare; Sponsor: Collins, Susan M.; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.4640 – Award grants to eligible crisis centers to provide follow-up services to individuals receiving suicide prevention and crisis intervention services and improve the accessibility of 9-8-8; Sponsor: Padilla, Alex; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.4637 – Increase by 5 the number of flex waivers available in each State for J-1 nonimmigrants and establish a secondary physician match portal to assist alien physicians; Sponsor: Cramer, Kevin; Committees: Senate – Judiciary
S.4626 – Direct the Secretary of Defense to publish a list of dietary supplement ingredients prohibited for use by members of the Armed Forces; Sponsor: Lee, Mike; Committees: Senate – Armed Services
S.4624 – Provide for payment for services of radiologist assistants under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Boozman, John; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.4622 – Prohibit the inclusion of medical debt on a consumer report; Sponsor: Kennedy, John; Committees: Senate – Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
S.4618 – Effectively staff the high-need public elementary schools and secondary schools of the United States with school-based mental health services providers; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.Res.752 – Express support for the designation of the month of May 2026 as “Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.Res.751 – Designate May 2026 as “ALS Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Coons, Christopher A.; Committees: Senate – Judiciary