After blocking floor votes on several bills in opposition to the spending caps set by the recent debt ceiling compromise negotiated by the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), a small group of conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives appear to have won concessions from the Speaker to cut spending by an additional $120 billion. In defending his new agreement, McCarthy stated that the debt deal decided “a ceiling, not a floor” for spending, and that it was always his intention to pass appropriations legislation below the Fiscal Responsibility Act’s caps. The new plan would permit $1.47 trillion in discretionary spending for fiscal year (FY) 2024. The Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services would be cut by 29% under the GOP plan.
The House Appropriations Committee advanced its FY 2024 Agriculture-Rural Development-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spending bill last week. The package, which was approved via a party-line vote, would trim 2.1% in overall spending compared to FY 2023. The bill provides $6.6 billion for the FDA, including user fee funding, less than the $7.2 billion requested by the agency in the President’s budget. It includes a provision to restrict access to the abortion medication mifepristone. The policy would nullify the FDA’s January decision to remove the in-person dispensing requirement for the drug. The legislation also includes a measure to prevent the agency from prohibiting the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, or from limiting the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes. The Senate Appropriations Committee will begin consideration of the first of its FY 2024 spending bills this week, marking up the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 and the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 on Thursday.
Lawmakers Grapple with Ongoing Drug Shortages
Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are threatening to oppose a package to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) if provisions to address the nation’s ongoing drug shortages are not included. The reauthorization package was negotiated by Energy and Commerce Committee members Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), but Eshoo recently stated that she has pulled her support for the bill after Republicans refused to include a measure to increase transparency in the drug supply chain. During a legislative hearing focused on the PAHPA reauthorization last week, panel Republicans argued that a narrow reauthorization would help ensure House passage of the legislation, but committed to separately work on a bipartisan basis to address the problem of drug shortages. PAHPA’s pandemic preparedness programs expire September 30.
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) are seeking information from health care stakeholders about the emerging and persistent drug shortages currently facing the nation. The lawmakers pose a series of 14 questions to inform their examination of the drivers of medication shortages and potential policy solutions “to bolster patient access and shore up our critical drug supply chains.” Feedback should be submitted to [email protected] by July 7.
Sanders Releases Report on Drug Pricing, Public Investment in Medical Research
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has released a report highlighting the costs of drugs and medical devices that received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Sanders calls on the NIH to reinstate the use of reasonable pricing clauses in the agency’s contracting requirements. These clauses would force companies to set reasonable prices when they license NIH inventions. The HELP Committee has yet to notice a date for the confirmation hearing of Monica Bertagnolli to serve as the next NIH Director. Sanders has said that he will oppose any administration health nominee who does not commit to lowering drug prices.
Preventive Services Mandate Restored as Legal Challenge Proceeds
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached an agreement with the plaintiffs challenging the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive care mandate to protect no-cost coverage of certain services while the legal case proceeds. In exchange, DOJ has pledged to not enforce the mandate for the parties challenging the law who claim that coverage of HIV prevention drugs and other preventive care services violates their religious beliefs. The employers and individuals challenging the law have asserted that because members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) are not Senate confirmed nor overseen by Senate confirmed federal employees, their recommendations for what services must be covered by insurers at no cost to the beneficiary cannot be enforced. They have also argued that coverage of pre-exposure prophylaxis medication – PrEP – to prevent the transmission of HIV violates their religious rights. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals signed the stipulated order partially halting the lower court’s March ruling which struck the ACA’s requirement. While a ruling in the case is expected in the coming months, an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is likely no matter what decision the 5th Circuit reaches.
MedPAC, MACPAC Release June Reports to Congress
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is recommending that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) lower its payment rates for telehealth services. MedPAC’s annual June Report to the Congress recommends that the agency rescind fee increases initially instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as early as 2024. The Commission argues that providing care via telehealth does not cost practices as much as in-person care. The report suggests that the increased use of telehealth throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency did not adversely impact the quality of care, and only slightly increased costs for the Medicare program. MedPAC recommends that CMS work with Congress to standardize telehealth payments so as not to disincentivize in-person care, and expresses support for the use of beneficiary cost-sharing to help avoid overuse of virtual services.
The latest MedPAC report also recommends that lawmakers implement changes to the Medicare Part B benefit to lower drug spending. The panel suggests capping the payment rate for Part B drugs made available via the accelerated approval pathway, and recommends that Medicare be given the authority to use reference pricing to establish a single average sales price-based payment rate for Part B drugs and biologics with similar health effects. The report details the Commission’s concerns that current Medicare wage indexes are not accurate and create inequities in the health care system, and recommends that Congress replace current wage indexes with a new system for hospitals and providers. The June 2023 report also includes a recommendation that Congress align payment rates for the same services provided across different ambulatory settings.
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) also released its June 2023 report last week. MACPAC recommends automatic adjustments to disproportion
New Research Paper Details MA Overpayments
Anew white paper from the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics indicates that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans were overpaid by 14.4% in 2020 due to favorable patient selection. Researchers found that patients with lower-than-average expenditures than those with similar risk factors were significantly more likely to switch from traditional Medicare to the MA program. As a result, the risk-score-adjusted expenditures for these 16.9 million beneficiaries who switched coverage between 2006 and 2019 were substantially below average. The report asserts that basing MA payment benchmarks on fee-for-service (FFS) expenditures is “increasingly problematic” as FFS enrollment continues to decline. Researchers stress the need for reforming how MA payments are set, such as by decoupling MA payments from FFS benchmarks or instituting competitive bidding.
Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing “Responding to America’s Overdose Crisis: An Examination of Legislation to Build Upon the SUPPORT Act;” 10:00 a.m.; June 21
House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing “Competition and Transparency: the Pathway Forward for a Stronger Health Care Market;” 10:15 a.m.; June 21
House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health hearing on H.R. 3520, Veterans Care Improvement Act; H.R. 1182, Veterans Serving Veterans Act; H.R. 1774, VA Emergency Transportation Act; H.R. 2683, VA Flood Preparedness Act; H.R. 2768, PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act; H.R. 2818, Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act; H.R. 3581, Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement (COPE) Act; H.R. 1278, DRIVE Act; H.R. 1639, VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act; and H.R. 1815, Expanding Veterans’ Options for Long Term Care Act; 10:30 a.m.; June 21
Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing “Examining the Effectiveness of the Office of Integrated Veteran Care;” 3:30 p.m.; June 21
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “MACRA Checkup: Assessing Implementation and Challenges that Remain for Patients and Doctors;” 10:30 a.m.; June 22
POLICY BRIEFINGS
Recently Introduced Health Legislation
H.Res.485 – Expressing support for the designation of “Batten Disease Awareness Day” on June 9. Sponsor: Bean, Aaron [Rep.-R-FL-4]; Committees: House – Oversight and Accountability
H.Res.490 – Supporting the designation of the week of June 12 through June 18, 2023, as “National Men’s Health Week”. Sponsor: Payne, Donald M., Jr. [Rep.-D-NJ-10]; Committees: House – Oversight and Accountability
H.R.3946 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and extend the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevention and Services program, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Bacon, Don [Rep.-R-NE-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.3948 -To expand access to health care for veterans in the Freely Associated States, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Bera, Ami [Rep.-D-CA-6]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
H.R.3962 – To establish a Federal Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence. Sponsor: Evans, Dwight [Rep.- D-PA-3]; Committees: House – Judiciary
H.R.3988 – To provide for congressional approval of national emergency declarations. Sponsor: Roy, Chip [Rep.-R- TX-21]; Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure; Foreign Affairs; Rules
H.R.3993 – To provide a private right of action against the maker of any component of a ghost gun, and any person who facilitated a sale of the ghost gun, for injury or death resulting from the use of the ghost gun. Sponsor: Torres, Ritchie [Rep.-D-NY-15]; Committees: House – Judiciary
S.1922 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for wigs as durable medical equipment under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.1925 – A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety officers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
H.Res.496 – Expressing support for the designation of June 13 as “Posttraumatic Growth Day”; Sponsor: Bergman, Jack [Rep.-R-MI-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.Res.498 – Recognizing June 28, 2023, as the 125th anniversary of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and commending its work to improve the health of the people of the United States; Sponsor: Graves, Sam [Rep.- R-MO-6]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce
H.R.4005 – To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on naloxone access; Sponsor: Kuster, Ann M. [Rep.-D-NH-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4007 – To ensure references to opioid overdose reversal agents in grant programs of the Department of Health and Human Services are not limited to naloxone; Sponsor: Armstrong, Kelly [Rep.-R-ND-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4009 – To establish emergency paid sick leave for individuals impacted by a public health emergency, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barragan, Nanette Diaz [Rep.-D-CA-44]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Oversight and Accountability; House Administration; Judiciary; Ways and Means
H.R.4011 – To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to improve patient access to oral medications, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4012 – To repeal the guidance titled “CVM GFI #263 Recommendations for Sponsors of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs Approved for Use in Animals to Voluntarily Bring Under Veterinary Oversight All Products That Continue to be Available Over-the-Counter”; Sponsor: Brecheen, Josh [Rep.-R-OK-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4027 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate late enrollment penalties under part B of the Medicare program for individuals residing in Puerto Rico if such individuals enroll within 5 years of becoming entitled to benefits under part A of such program; Sponsor: González-Colón, Jenniffer [Resident Commissioner-R-PR-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.4028 – To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to make premium and cost-sharing subsidies available to low-income Medicare part D beneficiaries who reside in Puerto Rico or another territory of the United States; Sponsor: González-Colón, Jenniffer [Resident Commissioner-R-PR-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.4034 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for wigs as durable medical equipment under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McGovern, James P. [Rep.-D-MA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.4047 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services; Sponsor: Sorensen, Eric [Rep.-D-IL-17]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
S.Res.249 – A resolution expressing support for the designation of July 2023 as “National Sarcoma Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Johnson, Ron [Sen.-R-WI]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
S.Res.250 – A resolution designating June 6, 2023, as National Naloxone Awareness Day; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
S.1950 – A bill to extend the temporary order for fentanyl-related substances; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary
S.1951 – A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand entitlement of veterans to care from the Department of Veterans Affairs and to guarantee health care benefits for veterans enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sanders, Bernard [Sen.-I-VT]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs
S.1954 – A bill to improve the provision of health care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans diagnosed with diabetes and heart disease, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sanders, Bernard [Sen.-I-VT]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs
S.1961 – A bill to require an interagency risk assessment of the pharmaceutical supply chain to identify and mitigate health and national security risks, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Peters, Gary C. [Sen.-D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
H.R.4053 – To provide for the review of the scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act of buprenorphine-naloxone combination products, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kuster, Ann M. [Rep.-D-NH-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary
H.R.4054 – To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to reauthorize grants to improve trauma support services and mental health care for children and youth in educational settings; Sponsor: Budzinski, Nikki [Rep.-D-IL-13]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce
H.R.4056 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure that medical assistance is available to children in foster care who are placed in a qualified residential treatment program under the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4057 – To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to reauthorize surveillance and data collection by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for child, youth, and adult trauma; Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Rep.-D- DE-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4061 – To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an exposure registry and conduct epidemiological studies to assess health outcomes associated with the Red Hill Incident; Sponsor: Case, Ed [Rep.-D-HI-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Armed Services
H.R.4063 – To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to reauthorize a pilot program for public health laboratories to detect fentanyl and other synthetic opioids; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4076 – To authorize funding for a bilateral cooperative program with Israel for the development of health technologies; Sponsor: Pappas, Chris [Rep.-D-NH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4079 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce; Sponsor: Rogers, Harold [Rep.-R-KY-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4080 – To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to extend a task force to develop best practices for trauma-informed identification, referral, and support; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D-CA-25]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce; Judiciary
H.R.4087 – To prohibit the use of Federal funds to conduct or support certain gain-of-function research by a foreign adversary; Sponsor: Wenstrup, Brad R. [Rep.-R-OH-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
S.1967 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish requirements relating to the responsibility of pharmacy benefit managers under Medicare part D; Sponsor: Menendez, Robert [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.1976 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify congressional intent and preserve patient access to home infusion therapy under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Warner, Mark R. [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.1991 – A bill to reauthorize certain programs under the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McConnell, Mitch [Sen.-R-KY]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.1994 – A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to require medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to share certain data with State cancer registries, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kelly, Mark [Sen.-D-AZ]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs
S.1995 – A bill to support public health infrastructure; Sponsor: Murray, Patty [Sen.-D-WA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.1999 – A bill to protect an individual’s ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception; Sponsor: Markey, Edward J. [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
H.R.4088 – To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to reauthorize a program to support individuals in substance use disorder treatment and recovery to live independently and participate in the workforce, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barr, Andy [Rep.-R-KY-6]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce
H.R.4089 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize grants for first responder training; Sponsor: D’Esposito, Anthony [Rep.-R-NY-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4091 – To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to expand required reports on T-MSIS substance use disorder data to include mental health condition data; Sponsor: Valadao, David G. [Rep.-R-CA-22]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4092 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize support for residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women; Sponsor: Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [Rep.-D-WA-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4093 – To provide for a study on the effects of remote monitoring on individuals who are prescribed opioids; Sponsor: Balderson, Troy [Rep.-R-OH-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4095 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize grants to address the problems of persons who experience violence related stress; Sponsor: De La Cruz, Monica [Rep.-R-TX-15]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4096 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to expand the application of Medicaid State programs to monitor antipsychotic medications to all Medicaid beneficiaries; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4097 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize mental and behavioral health education and training grants; Sponsor: Sykes, Emilia Strong [Rep.-D-OH-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4098 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize grants for building communities of recovery; Sponsor: Pettersen, Brittany [Rep.-D-CO-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4099 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a program of preventing overdoses of controlled substances; Sponsor: Griffith, H. Morgan [Rep.-R-VA-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4100 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a monitoring and education program regarding infections associated with illicit drug use and other risk factors; Sponsor: Chavez-DeRemer, Lori [Rep.-R-OR-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4101 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a National Peer-Run Training and Technical Assistance Center for Addiction Recovery Support; Sponsor: James, John [Rep.-R-MI-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4102 – To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to reauthorize the Recovery Housing Program; Sponsor: Barr, Andy [Rep.-R-KY-6]; Committees: House – Financial Services
H.R.4104 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify congressional intent and preserve patient access to home infusion therapy under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Buchanan, Vern [Rep.-R-FL-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.4105 – To amend the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit certain acts related to fentanyl, analogues of fentanyl, and counterfeit substances, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Buck, Ken [Rep.-R-CO-4]; Committees: House – Judiciary; Energy and Commerce
H.R.4106 – To amend the 21st Century Cures Act to expressly authorize the use of certain grants to implement substance use disorder and overdose prevention activities with respect to fentanyl and xylazine test strips; Sponsor: Crockett, Jasmine [Rep.-D-TX-30]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4110 – To provide the Food and Drug Administration with authority to conduct microbial sampling on concentrated animal feeding operations as necessary to facilitate a foodborne illness outbreak investigation, determine the root cause of an outbreak of foodborne illness, or address other public health needs; Sponsor: DeLauro, Rosa L. [Rep.-D-CT-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4115 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply prescription drug inflation rebates to drugs furnished in the commercial market and to change the base year for rebate calculations; Sponsor: Gallego, Ruben [Rep.-D-AZ-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.4121 – To protect an individual’s ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception; Sponsor: Manning, Kathy E. [Rep.-D-NC-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4122 – To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks, in recognition of her immortal cells which have made invaluable contributions to global health, scientific research, our quality of life, and patients’ rights; Sponsor: Mfume, Kweisi [Rep.-D-MD-7]; Committees: House – Financial Services; House Administration
Recently Introduced Health Legislation Contd.
H.R.4132 – To provide for the imposition of sanctions with respect to forced organ harvesting within the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Perry, Scott [Rep.-R-PA-10]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Judiciary
H.R.4134 – To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a process to allow the holders of abbreviated new drug applications to make labeling changes to include new or updated safety-related information, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schiff, Adam B. [Rep.-D-CA-30]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
S.Res.255 – A resolution expressing support for the designation of June 19, 2023, as “World Sickle Cell Awareness Day” in order to increase public awareness across the United States and global community about sickle cell disease and the continued need for empirical research, early detection screenings, novel effective treatments leading to a cure, and preventative care programs with respect to complications from sickle cell anemia and conditions relating to sickle cell disease; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations
S.Res.257 – A resolution designating July 19, 2023, as “Glioblastoma Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Graham, Lindsey [Sen.-R- SC]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.
S.2009 – A bill to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize a national network of statewide senior legal hotlines, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.2012 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of dental services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Cardin, Benjamin L. [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.2016 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Finance
S.2024 – A bill to provide for the establishment of an education program to expand abortion care training and access; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
S.2026 – A bill to provide support for programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to the coordination of maternity health care, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs
S.2039 – 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 for cost-sharing for oral anticancer drugs on terms no less favorable than the cost-sharing provided for anticancer medications administered by a health care provider; Sponsor: Smith, Tina [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
H.Res.514 – Expressing support for the designation of June 19, 2023, as “World Sickle Cell Awareness Day” in order to increase public alertness across the United States and global community about sickle cell disease, the continued need for empirical research, early detection screenings for sickle cell trait carriers, novel effective treatments leading to a cure, and preventative care programs with respect to complications from sickle cell anemia and conditions related to sickle cell disease; Sponsor: Davis, Danny K. [Rep.-D-IL-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4146 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of dental services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Barragan, Nanette Diaz [Rep.-D-CA-44]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means
H.R.4147 – To provide for the establishment of an education program to expand abortion care training and access; Sponsor: Bera, Ami [Rep.-D-CA-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4150 – To improve the provision of health care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans diagnosed with diabetes and heart disease, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Brownley, Julia [Rep.-D-CA-26]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
H.R.4157 – To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prepare an annual report on suicide prevention, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Connolly, Gerald E. [Rep.-D-VA-11]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
H.R.4182 – To improve men’s health initiatives, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Payne, Donald M., Jr. [Rep.-D-NJ-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce
H.R.4189 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Thompson, Mike [Rep.-D-CA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means