The Senate voted unanimously last week to require Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to declassify information about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Passage of the COVID-19 Origin Act (S. 619) follows a recent report from the Department of Energy which concluded with ‘low confidence’ that COVID-19 most likely originated from a lab leak in China. Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Christopher Wray separately acknowledged on Tuesday the FBI’s determination that the pandemic had most likely come from a laboratory incident in Wuhan.
HELP Leadership Seek Information on Health Care Workforce Shortages
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-La.) have sent a letter to health care stakeholders requesting input on the drivers of current health care workforce shortages and possible legislative solutions to the problem. HELP Committee leadership have repeatedly stated their intent to prioritize health care worker shortages as an area of bipartisan compromise, with the panel holding its first hearing of the 118th Congress on the subject last month. The letter states their plan to use the information received to draft bipartisan legislation to strengthen workforce capacity. Sanders and Cassidy request responses be sent to HealthWorkforceComments @help.senate.gov no later than Monday, March 20.
Hudson, Eshoo Release RFI on PAHPA Reauthorization
House Energy and Commerce Committee members Reps. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) have released a request for information (RFI) on improving the nation’s biosecurity and preparedness infrastructure. The RFI comes as the lawmakers begin work to reauthorize the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). Current authority for the program expires on September 30. “As I lead the process with my colleague, Rep. Eshoo, to improve our preparedness, I am seeking feedback and suggestions on how our country can be better prepared, further equipped, more transparent, and fully accountable when taking on future emergencies,” Rep. Hudson stated. Responses to the RFI are due by Monday, March 13.
Ways and Means Republicans Release Oversight Priorities
House Committee on Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) released his priorities for oversight hearings and related activities that the committee and its subcommittees plan to conduct over the course of the 118th Congress. Matters under the committee’s health care jurisdiction include oversight of the No Surprises Act implementation, oversight of the implementation of prescription drug provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, adequacy and appropriateness of Medicare provider reimbursements, oversight of graduate medical education policies, and oversight of existing and proposed health care price transparency requirements. The plan also highlights concerns related to the delivery of health services and Medicare reimbursement.
Oversight Panel Launches Investigation into Role of PBMs
The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has launched an investigation into the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their impact on patients, the nation’s pharmaceutical market, and overall health care costs. “Pharmacy benefit managers’ anticompetitive tactics are driving up health care costs for Americans and harming patient care,” Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) stated. “Federal agencies administering health care programs for seniors, active-duty military, and federal employees rely on PBMs as middlemen to set drug prices, which opens the door to government waste at the expense of American taxpayers.” Comer has requested information from the Office of Personnel Management, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Defense Health Agency on how government- administered health programs are affected by PBMs. He has also requested information from the nation’s three largest PBMs – Express Scripts, CVS Caremark, and OptumRx, about their business practices, including details on the total rebates and fees collected by the companies.
Bipartisan Bill Reintroduced to Encourage Prescription Drug Competition
On March 1, Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced the Prescription Drug Competition Act (S. 574). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may require drug manufacturers to have a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program to ensure the benefits of a drug with potential safety concerns outweigh the risks. However, as reported in the New York Times, drug manufacturers may patent their respective REMS programs and then leverage those patents to prevent alternative medications from entering the market. To address this, S. 574 would allow FDA to approve a generic medication immediately (avoiding the current 30-month stay) if the only impediment in the approval process is the reference product’s REMS patent. The legislation also includes provisions that would allow the continued sale of a generic medication facing litigation over a REMS patent. The legislation has been referred to the Senate HELP Committee.
POLICY BRIEFINGS
Lawmakers React to Elli Lilly’s Insulin Pricing Announcement
Eli Lilly announced last week that it will reduce the list price of its insulin products and cap patients’ out-of-pocket costs at $35 a month. The move was praised by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) who characterized it as “a critical step forward” but “long overdue.” Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) subsequently sent letters to Sanofi and Novo Nordisk calling on the companies to lower the prices of their insulin products as well. He also previewed plans to introduce legislation to cap insulin costs at $20 per vial.
E&C Republicans Express Opposition to 2024 NBPP
Republican leadership of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have sent a letter to the Biden administration expressing concerns with the 2024 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP), which proposes to limit the number of plans that an issuer may offer in the Affordable Care Act marketplace that do not meet certain specifications. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the proposed regulation could result in the termination of 57% of plans on the federal platform – ultimately impacting 2.7 million Americans. “Despite once declaring that, ‘excessive market concentration threatens basic economic liberties,’ President Biden wants to drastically limit Americans’ choices in the health insurance market. In fact, under his latest rule, more than half of all Obamacare plans on the federal exchange would disappear,” the letter states. The lawmakers urge the administration to immediately abandon the proposal and advance policies that “discourage provider consolidation or improve transparency of health care prices to empower individuals and employers when purchasing health care.” The letter was signed by Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), and Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.).
Ohio Senators Urge Health Surveys in East Palestine
Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) have sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency urging the administration to undertake both immediate and long-term health surveys of individuals residing near the recent train derailment in East Palestine as soon as possible. The lawmakers argue that such surveys and assessments are needed to establish a medical baseline for the community exposed to the hazardous chemicals released in the derailment. “The residents of East Palestine and the surrounding community deserve to know if their health has been compromised by this disaster now and for years to come,” the letter states. “Therefore, we urge you to work with your colleagues across the federal government to allocate the resources and expertise needed to begin the surveys and assessment needed to establish a medical baseline for the community.”
FY 2024 Appropriations Update
Senate appropriations leadership announced plans to begin marking up fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills in May. Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-Maine) told panel members that they are currently negotiating a topline spending target that can be used in drafting the 12 annual spending bills. The Senate Appropriations Committee did not mark up any FY 2023 appropriations legislation last year.
House Appropriations Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Subcommittee Chair Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) has decided to ban congressionally directed spending requests – or earmarks – from his panel’s FY 2024 appropriations bill. Many conservative members in the House of Representatives have expressed support for an across-the-board ban on earmarks in annual funding bills. Bans on earmark requests will also be applied to the Financial Services and Defense bills. House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger (R-Texas) has indicated that Republicans will otherwise maintain the cap on earmarks at 15 per member, while also emphasizing that only those projects with a direct tie to the federal government will be considered for funding.
Senate Works to Advance Health Nominees
The Senate Finance Committee advanced President Joe Biden’s nomination of Rebecca Haffajee to serve as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) last week over objections from panel Republicans in a 14-12 vote. Haffajee, an attorney and public health researcher, currently serves as ASPE’s principal deputy assistant secretary. Her nomination will now be sent to the full Senate for a vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has also filed a procedural motion to limit debate and consider the nomination of Patrice Kunesh to serve as commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans at HHS.
Feinstein Hospitalized with Shingles
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has been hospitalized in San Francisco with a case of shingles after being diagnosed with the infection over the February recess. The Senate’s oldest member stated that she expects to make a full recovery and return to the chamber later this month. Feinstein adds to several health-related absences among Democrats in the Senate, who hold a narrow 51-49 seat majority, that could complicate the advancement of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees. Feinstein is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Democrats hold a one-seat majority. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) remains in treatment for depression, and his office has not provided a timeframe for his return.
Rep. Castro Treated for Cancer
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) will be absent from the House of Representatives for several weeks after undergoing surgery to remove cancerous tumors in his gastrointestinal tract. Castro stated that the “small, slow-growing, and mostly asymptomatic” gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors were discovered last summer following a series of tests, and that his overall prognosis is good. He plans to remain at home recovering for “several weeks” before returning to Washington.
Slotkin to Run for Senate
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) announced last week that she will run to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in 2024. Slotkin was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 after serving three tours in Iraq as an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency. She currently serves on the House Armed Services and Agriculture committees.
FDA Panel Recommends Approval of RSV Vaccines
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted last week to recommend that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve both Pfizer’s and GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines. VRBPAC voted 7-4 with one abstention in support of the safety of Pfizer’s vaccine, and 7-4 with one abstention in support of the efficacy of Pfizer’s vaccine. Support for GSK’s product was wider – the panel voted 10-2 in support of its safety and were unanimous in support of its efficacy. Some panel members expressed concerns about the possibility of nervous system disorders like Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with the vaccines. If the vaccines are approved by the FDA, they will then be considered before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for recommendations on how and when the vaccines are to be used.
New Survey Released on Telemedicine Use, Preferences
Most U.S. adults prefer getting prescription refills and care for minor illnesses via telemedicine rather than in-person care, according to a new survey released by Rock Health and Stanford University’s Center for Digital Health. The survey of more than 8,000 adults found that approximately two-thirds of Americans prefer in-person care for visits related to chronic conditions and mental health, while three-quarters of adults prefer in-person visits for annual wellness checks, emergency care, and physical therapy. The survey also covered the differences in rates of telemedicine use among different populations before and after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, finding telemedicine use grew especially among uninsured and rural respondents.
Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense meeting to receive a briefing on the Department of Defense Health Program; 10:00 a.m.; March 7
House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing “Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA);” 3:00 p.m.; March 7
House Intelligence Committee markup of H.R. 1376, COVID-19 Origins Act of 2023; 5:00 p.m.; March 7
House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing “Investigating the Origins of COVID-19;” 9:00 a.m.; March 8
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Member Day Hearing; 10:00 a.m.; March 8
Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee hearing “Artificial Intelligence: Risks and Opportunities;” 10:00 a.m.; March 8
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet hearing “Intellectual Property and Strategic Competition with China: Part I;” 10:00 a.m.; March 8
House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation hearing “Advances in AI: Are We Ready for a Tech Revolution?” 2:00 p.m.; March 8
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing to examine protecting public health and the environment in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment and chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio; 10:00 a.m.; March 9
Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing “Uplifting Families, Workers, and Older Adults: Supporting Communities of Care;” 10:30 a.m.; March 9
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing “Taxpayers Paid Billions for It: So Why Would Moderna Consider Quadrupling the Price of the COVID Vaccine?” 10:00 a.m.; March 22
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies public witness hearing; March 23
Recently Introduced Health Legislation
H.R.1191 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for a presumption of service connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents for certain veterans who served in Guam; Sponsor: Moylan, James C. [Del.-R-GU-At Large]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
H.R.1182 – To amend the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a vacancy and recruitment database to facilitate the recruitment of certain members of the Armed Forces to satisfy the occupational needs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish and implement a training and certification program for intermediate care technicians in that Department, and for other purposes; Sponsor: González-Colón, Jenniffer [Resident Commissioner-R-PR-At Large]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
H.R.1173 – To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act regarding the patient medication information required to be included in the labeling of prescription drugs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R- GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1170 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify that expenses for blood storage qualify as expenses for medical care; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Ways and Means
H.R.1166 – To enhance authorities under the Defense Production Act of 1950 to respond to the public health emergencies, to provide additional oversight of such authorities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Vargas, Juan [Rep.-D- CA-52]; Committees: House – Financial Services
H.R.1154 – To combat forced organ harvesting and trafficking in persons for purposes of the removal of organs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smith, Christopher H. [Rep.-R-NJ-4]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Judiciary
S.Res.85 – A resolution designating March 1, 2023, as “National Assistive Technology Awareness Day”. Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
S.Res.84 – A resolution designating February 28, 2023, as “Rare Disease Day”. Sponsor: Brown, Sherrod [Sen.-D-OH]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
S.Res.81 – A resolution relating to the establishment of a means for the Senate to provide advice and consent regarding the form of an international agreement relating to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Sponsor: Risch, James E. [Sen.-R-ID]; Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations
S.Res.79 – A resolution expressing support for the designation of February 26, 2023, to March 4, 2023, as “National Fentanyl Awareness Week” and raising awareness of the negative impacts of fentanyl in the United States; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary
S.570 – A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to improve coverage of dental and oral health services for adults under Medicaid, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Cardin, Benjamin L. [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.569 – A bill to amend title XXXIII of the Public Health Service Act with respect to flexibility and funding for the World Trade Center Health Program. Sponsor: Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [Sen.-D-NY]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.565 – A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to pregnancy-help organizations. Sponsor: Risch, James E. [Sen.-R-ID]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.543 – A bill to increase research, education, and treatment for cerebral cavernous malformations. Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
H.Res.186 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the People’s Republic of China should be held accountable for its handling of COVID-19. Sponsor: Mast, Brian J. [Rep.-R-FL-21]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs
H.Res.185 – Declaring racism a public health crisis. Sponsor: Hayes, Jahana [Rep.-D-CT-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary
H.Res.181 – Expressing support for the designation of February 28, 2023, as “Rare Disease Day”. Sponsor: Carson, Andre [Rep.-D-IN-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.Res.178 – Affirming the House of Representatives’ commitment to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. Sponsor: Kildee, Daniel T. [Rep.-D-MI-8]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce
H.Res.175 – Recognizing the rise of cardiovascular disease as the world’s leading cause of preventable death and disability and as the global public health crisis of this generation and supporting the recognition of February 2023 as “American Heart Month”; Sponsor: Smith, Christopher H. [Rep.-R-NJ-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.Res.172 – Expressing support for designation of March 3, 2023, as “National Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Day”; Sponsor: Morelle, Joseph D. [Rep.-D-NY-25]; Committees: House – Oversight and Accountability
H.Res.170 – Recognizing it is the congressional intent of the Affordable Care Act that enhanced Federal medical assistance percentage funds are to be directly shared with the counties in States with a Medicaid local share requirement; Sponsor: Molinaro, Marcus J. [Rep.-R-NY-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1199 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure equitable payment for, and preserve Medicare beneficiary access to, diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals under the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system; Sponsor: Dunn, Neal P. [Rep.-R-FL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.1201 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the exclusion from medical assistance under the Medicaid Program of items and services for patients in an institution for mental diseases, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Napolitano, Grace F. [Rep.-D-CA-31]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1202 – To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for interest-free deferment on student loans for borrowers serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program; Sponsor: Babin, Brian [Rep.-R-TX-36]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
H.R.1210 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services with the authority to suspend the right to introduce certain persons or property into the United States in the interest of the public health; Sponsor: DesJarlais, Scott [Rep.-R-TN-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1215 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a refundable healthcare worker tax credit with semiannual advance payment; Sponsor: Magaziner, Seth [Rep.-D-RI-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means
H.R.1224 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national public awareness campaign to inform health care professionals and health care professional students on how to help patients navigate the legal landscape in the United States with respect to abortion and other reproductive health care services following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Trahan, Lori [Rep.-D-MA-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1264 – To streamline the employer reporting process and strengthen the eligibility verification process for the premium assistance tax credit and cost-sharing subsidy. Sponsor: Smith, Adrian [Rep.-R-NE-3]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce
H.R.1256 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the laws relating to the appointment of the Under Secretary of Health and Assistant Under Secretaries of Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Mrvan, Frank J. [Rep.-D-IN-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
S.Res.90 – A resolution recognizing the significance of endometriosis as an unmet chronic disease for women and designating March 2023 as “Endometriosis Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary
S.574 – A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prevent the use of patents, trade secrets, or other intellectual property to inhibit competition; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.592 – A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the mileage rate offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs through their Beneficiary Travel program for health related travel, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Stabenow, Debbie [Sen.-D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs
S.600 – A bill to amend the Controlled Substance Act to list fentanyl-related substances as schedule I controlled substances; Sponsor: Johnson, Ron [Sen.-R-WI]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary
S.603 – A bill to establish procedures regarding the approval of opioid drugs by the Food and Drug Administration; Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.604 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to amend the mission statement of the Food and Drug Administration; Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.606 – A bill to require the Food and Drug Administration to revoke the approval of one opioid pain medication for each new opioid medication approved; Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.607 – A bill to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to deny approval of a new drug application for an opioid analgesic drug on the basis of such drug not being clinically superior to other commercially available drugs; Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.614 – A bill to codify the temporary scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances by adding fentanyl-related substances to schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act; Sponsor: Cotton, Tom [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary
H.Res.193 – Expressing support for the goals and ideals of “World Hearing Day”; Sponsor: Thompson, Mike [Rep.-D- CA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1276 – To protect children from medical malpractice in the form of gender transition procedures; Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Rep.-R-IN-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Education and the Workforce; Natural Resources; Ways and Means
H.R.1280 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a program of research related to cerebral palsy, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cohen, Steve [Rep.-D-TN-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1291 – To amend the Controlled Substances Act to list fentanyl-related substances as schedule I controlled substances; Sponsor: Fitzgerald, Scott [Rep.-R-WI-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary
H.R.1294 – To amend title XXXIII of the Public Health Service Act with respect to flexibility and funding for the World Trade Center Health Program; Sponsor: Garbarino, Andrew R. [Rep.-R-NY-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1305 – To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to formulate a strategy for the Federal Government to secure support from foreign countries, multilateral organizations, and other appropriate entities to facilitate the development and commercialization of qualified pandemic or epidemic products, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Levin, Mike [Rep.-D-CA-49]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs
H.R.1315 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a Prostate Cancer Coordinating Committee, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1316 – To amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide for extended periods of continuous coverage under the Medicaid and CHIP programs for children, to provide a period of continuous eligibility under the Medicaid program for certain adults, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Neguse, Joe [Rep.-D-CO-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.1326 – To modify the limitation on the deduction by individuals of certain State and local taxes and to provide coverage for hearing and vision care under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Porter, Katie [Rep.-D-CA-47]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce
H.R.1328 – To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish nonvisual accessibility standards for certain devices with digital interfaces, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
S.624 – A bill to amend title X of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.626 – A bill to recommend that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation test the effect of a dementia care management model, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Stabenow, Debbie [Sen.-D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.628 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the treatment of direct primary care service arrangements as medical care, to provide that such arrangements do not disqualify deductible health savings account contributions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.631 – A bill to protect the privacy of personally-identifiable health and location data, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation
S.635 – A bill to protect children from medical malpractice in the form of gender transition procedures; Sponsor: Cotton, Tom [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary
S.641 – A bill to terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lee, Mike [Sen.-R-UT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.642 – A bill to facilitate the development of treatments for cancers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.644 – A bill to expand the take-home prescribing of methadone through pharmacies; Sponsor: Markey, Edward J. [Sen.- D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.652 – A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a group health plan or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan to provide an exceptions process for any medication step therapy protocol, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Murkowski, Lisa [Sen.-R-AK]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions