President Joe Biden plans to request additional funding from Congress for new COVID-19 vaccines. It is unclear whether the money would go toward research and development of an updated vaccine beyond the one already in development, or whether the administration will seek to restart the federal program providing free coronavirus shots for all Americans. In either case, the request is likely to meet opposition from Republicans on Capitol Hill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to meet on September 12 to discuss the latest round of COVID-19 vaccines to be deployed this fall.

 

Freedom Caucus to Oppose Clean CR

The House Freedom Caucus released a statement last week in anticipation of the use of a continuing resolution to fund the federal government beyond the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The Caucus stresses their support for reining in “reckless inflationary spending,” stating their refusal to support any stopgap spending measure that “continues Democrats’ bloated COVID-era spending.” The Freedom Caucus will oppose any clean, short-term funding bill that does not include the Secure the Border Act, address the “unprecedented weaponization of the Justice Department and FBI,” and “end the Left’s cancerous woke policies in the Pentagon.”

 

CBO Announces 2023 Panel of Health Advisers

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has announced the members of its Panel of Health Advisers for the coming year. The panel advises CBO on its cost analyses and provides assistance to support CBO’s understanding of “cutting edge research and the latest real-world developments in health care delivery and financing.” The complete list of advisers and their affiliations can be found here.

 

CMS Releases First Guidance on OOP Smoothing Program

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the first of two draft guidance documents last week to implement the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan Program. The program, which was established under the Inflation Reduction Act, will permit seniors to spread (or ‘smooth’) out their out-of-pocket (OOP) drug costs over a 12-month period. It is set to begin on January 1, 2025. The guidance instructs Part D plans on how to identify patients who may benefit from the program, how such patients should be notified via their pharmacy, and how insurers should reimburse pharmacies for the cost-sharing patients would otherwise pay upfront. Comments on the guidance are due September 20, 2023. A second guidance, planned for release early next year, will shed light on how the program will impact plan bids for 2025.

 

First Medicare Price Negotiation Drugs to Be Announced This Week

The Biden administration will announce the first 10 prescription drugs selected for the first round of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare price negotiation policy early this week. The announcement is expected to precede a Tuesday event at the White House on lowering health care costs scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern. Under the law, CMS is required to publish the list of up to 10 Medicare Part D drugs it selects for negotiation by September 1.

 

FDA Issues Warning Letters on Unapproved Skin Infection Treatments

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued six warning letters, including several to the nation’s major retailers, about the selling of unapproved products labeled to treat molluscum contagiosum. There are currently no over-the-counter products approved to treat the viral skin infection, which is common in children. The letters require the companies to respond within 15 days with evidence that they are no longer selling the products or that their sale is not in violation of FDA regulations, or risk further action by the agency.

 

Conservative Think Tanks Prepare Health Plans Ahead of 2024 Election

Paragon Health, the Heritage Foundation, and America First Policy Institute are at work drafting health policies in anticipation of the 2024 presidential election. Axios reported last week on work by the conservative think tanks to prepare health care policies and consider potential appointees should a Republican retake the White House next year. The plans include a focus on the use of association health plans, Medicaid block grants, site neutral payments, and an expansion of Trump-era transparency regulations.

 

WaPo Explores Geographic Distribution of Physician Income

The Washington Post published a recent article exploring the geographic distribution of physician income and why the nation’s highest paid doctors work in the Dakotas. While the nationwide average is $405,000, the average physician in their prime earning years (age 40 to 55) made $524,000 annually in South Dakota, while in North Dakota they made $468,000. Other rural states – Alaska, Wyoming, and Nebraska – round out the top five states for physician pay. The article suggests that the lack of competition in rural America may be responsible in part for these disparities in doctor pay, along with Medicare’s subsidization of seniors’ health care costs and the lack of variation in the program’s reimbursement rates for physician work from state-to-state.

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.5237 – To require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report on the effects of the fentanyl crisis, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Fry, Russell [Rep.-R-SC-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.5247 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire psychiatrists; Sponsor: Cartwright, Matt [Rep.-D-PA-8]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.5256 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide payment under part A of the Medicare Program on a reasonable cost basis for anesthesia services furnished by an anesthesiologist in certain rural hospitals in the same manner as payments are provided for anesthesia services furnished by anesthesiologist assistants and certified registered nurse anesthetists in such hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moolenaar, John R. [Rep.-R-MI-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.5259 – To direct the Secretary of Defense to include in periodic health assessments of members of the Armed Forces an evaluation of whether the member has been exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Slotkin, Elissa [Rep.-D-MI-7]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.5261 – To direct the Secretary of Defense to provide to each health care provider of the Department of Defense training regarding the potential health effects of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances; Sponsor: Slotkin, Elissa [Rep.-D-MI-7]; Committees: House – Armed Services

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has expressed support for a continuing resolution (CR) extending through early December to fund the federal government and avoid a government shutdown when current funding runs out at the end of the fiscal year (FY) on September 30. The Senate is scheduled to be in session only 17 days before the FY 2024 appropriations bills need to be passed, and the House will be in session only 12 days. Schumer stated that he has already spoken with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) about the passage of a stopgap spending measure as government funding negotiations continue. McCarthy himself recognized the need for such a temporary measure during a GOP conference call last week. The Speaker underscored the importance of the short-term bill lasting no later than early December.

Congress has used CRs to extend government funding through December in each of the last three years. This year, the House of Representatives has passed just one of the 12 annual appropriations bills, legislation to fund Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies, while the Senate has passed none but reported all 12 bills out of committee before the August recess. Republicans in the House continue to have internal disagreements regarding overall spending levels and policy riders, such as those related to the politicization of the Department of Justice, abortion, and border security. Government funding negotiations could be further complicated by the need to attach the administration’s supplemental funding request – which is expected to be increased to account for growing disaster aid costs to respond to destructive wildfires in Hawaii – to a CR.

The latest debt limit deal included a provision to trigger a 1% across the board discretionary spending cut if the government is not fully funded by January 1. Senators are scheduled to return from August recess on September 5 and House members on September 12. Congress must also reauthorize by September 30 the SUPPORT Act, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Program, and extend funding for the Community Health Center Fund.

 

WH Outlines R&D Priorities for FY 2025 Budget

The Biden administration is asking federal agencies to prioritize achieving better health outcomes in any research and development projects they might propose for funding in fiscal year (FY) 2025. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a memo on Thursday outlining R&D priorities for FY 2025 budget requests to OMB. The guidance includes funding activities related to the President’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative (with a focus on early detection, novel therapies, and prevention), antibiotic resistance and infectious outbreaks, preventing exposure to harmful chemicals, and mitigating the health effects of climate change.

 

Senate Democrats Comment on FDA’s Proposed Opioid Disposal Requirements

Agroup of ten Senate Democrats have sent a letter urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand upon its proposed prescription opioid disposal policies. The agency’s April proposal, aimed at preventing abuse of and exposure to prescription opioids, would require patients be provided with mail-back envelopes and safe-disposal education when they are prescribed opioids in the outpatient setting. The lawmakers suggest that the FDA include a requirement for an at-home disposal option as well, highlighting that rural patients may not have regular access to the mail. The letter was led by Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). Comments on the proposed modification to the Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy are due by August 28.

 

ProPublica Reports on Hidden Payment Processing Fees

ProPublica published an article last week shedding light on the payment processing fees charged by insurers when they pay physicians for their work electronically. The creation of these fees follows the shift from paper to electronic processing and the subsequent growth of the payment processing industry. Public records requests made by New York urologist Alex Shteynshlyuger to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revealed federal officials frequently deferring to the payment processing company Zelis, employer of a former CMS staffer and author of current federal standards for paying doctors via electronic funds transfers. In his capacity as vice president of legislative affairs at Zelis, Matthew Albright convinced CMS that a 2000 regulation prohibiting insurers from charging excessive fees for direct transactions did not apply to payment processors. The article details how physicians are often automatically enrolled in higher-fee payment methods without their consent. When they ask to by paid by paper check, insurers often resume electronic payments and the associated fees against the wishes of the provider. Payment processors argue their service offers doctors increased convenience and efficiency, allowing them to be reimbursed by many insurers through a single payment processor. The reporting highlights a survey which found that nearly 60% of medical practices are compelled to pay fees for electronic payment at least some of the time. A separate poll found that these fees can cost larger medical practices as much as $1 million each year.

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.5183 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of cancer care planning and coordination under the Medicare program. Sponsor: DeSaulnier, Mark [Rep.-D-CA-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means.

 

H.R.5206 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make a portion of research credit refundable for certain small businesses engaging in specified medical research. Sponsor: Buchanan, Vern [Rep.-R-FL-16]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.5207 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to add a new medical research component to the credit for increasing research activities. Sponsor: Buchanan, Vern [Rep.-R-FL-16]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.5208 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify the treatment of locum tenens physicians and advanced care practitioners as independent contractors to help alleviate physician shortages, including in underserved areas. Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.5212 – To amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to make available under the assistance to firefighters grant program the establishment of cancer prevention programs, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Gottheimer, Josh [Rep.-D-NJ-5]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.5213 – To ensure that prior authorization medical decisions under Medicare are determined by physicians. Sponsor: Green, Mark E. [Rep.-R-TN-7]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

The Biden administration released its request for $40 billion in supplemental funding for fiscal year 2024 last week. The supplemental budget request to Congress includes approximately $24 billion for continued aid to Ukraine. These emergency funds would not be subject to budget caps, and are likely to meet strong Republican opposition on the Hill. The request to meet critical needs also includes $350 million to support the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the federal response to the overdose epidemic. The money would be directed to states and territories via the State Opioid Response Grant program. The Indian Health Service would receive $50 million for the provision of substance use treatment and prevention services. Approximately $800 million of the $40 billion would be put toward efforts to reduce the supply of illegal fentanyl through the departments of Justice and Homeland Security.

 

Cassidy Urges Correct Implementation of Surprise Billing Law

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra urging the administration to correctly implement the No Surprises Act. Cassidy argues that rather “than implement the criteria as written in the statute, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services took artistic license” and “deviated from the criteria,” which has resulted in numerous legal disputes. The letter outlines the adverse patient impacts that have resulted from the administration’s flawed implementation of the 2021 law and highlights the “lack of consistent, standardized information flow between parties and the absence of timely payments once a payment determination has been made.” Cassidy poses a series of over 40 questions covering issues including the qualifying payment amount, ensuring timely and accurate payments, the independent dispute resolution process, batching challenges, the administrative fee, and audit and enforcement authorities, and requests a response from Secretary Becerra by September 15.

 

Lawmakers Question Nonprofit Hospital Abuse of Tax-Exempt Status

Abipartisan group of senators are asking the Biden administration to investigate nonprofit hospitals’ compliance with community benefit requirements. These hospitals receive tax exemptions in exchange for community benefits – the provision of free or discounted care to low-income individuals. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters to the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department calling for an examination of the approximately $28 billion in nonprofit hospital tax exemptions. The lawmakers highlight concerns that the definition of community benefits is overly broad, allowing “some nonprofit hospitals to avoid providing essential care in the community for those who need it most.” The letter calls for the government to update the forms hospitals file to disclose charity care and to identify hospitals whose tax-exempt status was revoked and those that were audited or deemed at risk for non-compliance with charity care requirements.

 

Intelligence Chair Warner Comments On Google Medical Language Model

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (R-Va.) has sent a letter to the CEO of Google asking him to increase transparency, strengthen privacy, and establish ethical guardrails around the company’s medical language model dubbed Med-PaLM2. Warner cites reports of inaccuracies in the model, arguing that “premature deployment of unproven technology could lead to the erosion of trust in our medical professionals and institutions, the exacerbation of existing racial disparities in health outcomes, and an increased risk of diagnostic and care-delivery errors.” Google, which made Med-PaLM 2 available to a limited number of health care organizations for testing, has previously stated that users of its technology retain complete control of their data.

 

HHS Announces Funding to Grow Nursing Workforce

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that it will award more than $100 million to strengthen the nation’s nursing workforce. Nearly $65 million will be put toward advanced nursing education and nurse practitioner residency and fellowship programs. Another $26 million will be used to recruit and retain more nursing faculty. Approximately $9 million will support the training of licensed practice nurses to become registered nurses. The funding announcement is a part of a broader effort at HHS to grow the nation’s health care workforce.

 

UnitedHealthcare to Scale Back Use of Prior Authorization

Effective September 1 and November 1, UnitedHealthcare will move forward with a plan to reduce its overall volume of prior authorization requirements by 20% for the vast majority of its commercial and Medicaid members. The company has detailed which procedures would no longer be subject to prior authorization, including hundreds of codes for genetic testing. UnitedHealthcare also plans to implement a gold card program starting next year, which would eliminate prior authorization requirements for physicians with high approval rates. Cigna and Aetna have recently announced similar intentions to scale back some of their prior authorization requirements.

 

New WaPo Analysis of Physician Spread of COVID Misinformation

The Washington Post released a report last week investigating complaints against U.S. doctors for the spread of COVID-19 misinformation. The investigation’s survey of all 50 state medical boards found at least 480 COVID-19 misinformation related complaints. Only 20 doctors were officially sanctioned for their behavior, with five losing their licenses and only one having their license revoked. These providers often promoted unproven treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19, or spread false statements about the use of vaccines and masks.

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.5138 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to count a period of receipt of outpatient observation services in a hospital toward satisfying the 3-day inpatient hospital stay requirement for coverage of skilled nursing facility services under Medicare, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Courtney, Joe [Rep.-D-CT-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.5142 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to make updates to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Doggett, Lloyd [Rep.-D-TX-37]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.5143 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide authority to add additional vaccines to the list of taxable vaccines; Sponsor: Doggett, Lloyd [Rep.-D-TX-37]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.5150 – To direct the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report evaluating beneficiary access to TRICARE network pharmacies; Sponsor: Neguse, Joe [Rep.-D-CO-2]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.5151 – To require responsiveness testing of Defense Logistics Agency pharmaceutical contracts; Sponsor: Neguse, Joe [Rep.-D-CO-2]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.5159 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure stability in payments to home health agencies under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Sewell, Terri A. [Rep.-D-AL-7]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.5163 – To amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Trone, David J. [Rep.-D-MD-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

H.Res.649 – Calling on the United States to champion a regional artificial intelligence strategy in the Americas to foster inclusive artificial intelligence systems that combat biases within marginalized groups and promote social justice, economic well-being, and democratic values; Sponsor: Espaillat, Adriano [Rep.-D-NY-13]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.5165 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States more flexibility with respect to using contractors to make eligibility determinations and redeterminations on behalf of the State Medicaid plan, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

When Congress returns from recess in September, lawmakers will begin work to reconcile the differences between the two versions of the must- pass $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) advanced by each chamber earlier this summer. The Senate-passed annual defense authorization bill (S. 2226) does not include several contentious provisions attached to the House legislation. The House-passed defense policy bill (H.R. 2670) would prohibit time off and travel allowances for service members seeking abortions. It would also block military health insurance from covering gender hormone treatments or sex reassignment surgeries for transgender individuals.

The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on September 5, and the House is scheduled to return on September 12. In addition to passing the Pentagon spending measure, Congress has a lengthy list of other expiring programs and must-pass legislation to complete before September 30, including fiscal year (FY) 2024 government funding, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) reauthorization, animal drug user fee reauthorization, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) reauthorization, and funding for public health programs (community health centers, National Health Service Corps, Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education, etc.).

 

Wyden Issues Letters on ADHD Medication Shortages

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has sent a letter calling on makers of ADHD medication to either increase manufacturing or relinquish their remaining federal quota allotment to permit other manufacturers to produce more than their allotted quota of amphetamine and amphetamine products. According to a joint statement from the Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), manufacturers are on track to fall one billion doses below quota. “The following actions are urgently needed,” Wyden argues. “Companies with spare quota allotments should relinquish them to the DEA so the DEA can approve applications from companies that have requested an increase; companies with excess production capacity that have met their quota allotment should apply for an increase; and manufacturers should sufficiently report voluntary and required information on their production, so the agencies have a complete understanding of how the shortage is being resolved and potential future shortages.”

 

Select Coronavirus Panel to Probe Vaccine Mandates

The House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has launched an investigation into the development and implementation of vaccination policies and mandates. The panel plans to explore whether regulations stemming from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Labor stopped the spread and transmission of the coronavirus. According to Chairman Brad Wenstrup, DPM (R-Ohio), the panel will explore how the mandates came to be to inform congressional action in the case of a future pandemic.

 

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo Named New Head of NIAID

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo has been named the new director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Dr. Marrazzo is currently the director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is expected to begin her role as NIAID Director in the fall. She will replace Hugh Auchincloss, Jr., M.D., who has served as acting director of NIAID after long-time director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., stepped down in December 2022. Dr. Marrazzo’s research has focused on the human microbiome, specifically as it relates to female reproductive tract infections and hormonal contraception; prevention of HIV infection using biomedical interventions; and the pathogenesis and management of bacterial vaginosis, sexually transmitted diseases in HIV-infected persons, and management of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhea. Dr. Marrazzo is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and is board certified in infectious diseases.

 

White House Launces New Pandemic Preparedness Office

The White House announced the launch of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response (OPPR) Policy last week. It will be a permanent office in the Executive Office of the President charged with leading, coordinating, and implementing actions related to preparedness for, and response to, known and unknown biological threats or pathogens that could lead to a pandemic or to significant public health-related disruptions in the US. OPPR will take over the duties of the current COVID-19 Response Team and Mpox Team at the White House and will continue to coordinate and develop policies and priorities related to pandemic preparedness and response. Major General (ret) Paul Friedrichs has been selected as the office’s inaugural director. Friedrichs previously served as Joint Staff Surgeon at the Pentagon and as medical adviser to the Department of Defense Covid-19 Task Force.

 

HHS Announces Formation of Long COVID Office

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a new Office of Long COVID Research and Practice. The office will coordinate the federal government’s response to the long-term effects and associated conditions of COVID-19. The Office of Long COVID Research will be located within HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health under the leadership of the HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, Admiral Rachel Levine. The Office is charged with on-going coordination of the whole-of-government response to the longer-term effects of COVID-19, including Long COVID and associated conditions and the implementation of the National Research Action Plan on Long COVID and the Services and Supports for Longer-Term Impacts of COVID-19. Fourteen federal departments currently engage on long COVID, including over a dozen HHS Operating and Staff Divisions with the goal of reducing the impacts of long COVID by improving quality of life for people living with long COVID and reducing disparities related to long COVID.

 

March of Dimes Releases New Data on Maternal Care Deserts

The nation saw a 4% decline in the number of hospitals offering labor and delivery services between 2019 and 2020, according to new data from the March of Dimes. This figure captures significant disparities across the nation – with Alabama and Wyoming losing nearly 25% of their birthing hospitals during this time, and Idaho, Indiana, and West Virginia losing nearly 10%. Approximately 5.6 million women currently reside in counties with no access to maternity care, while 32 million women are at risk of poor health outcomes because of a lack of nearby maternity care options. The March of Dimes characterizes more than one-third of all U.S. counties as maternal care deserts because of their lack of access to reproductive health services. The problem is particularly acute in rural areas and states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs. The U.S. currently has the worst maternal mortality rate among developed nations. The impact of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade on maternal health remains unclear, as the report relies on data gathered in 2020 and 2021 prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling.

 

POLICY BRIEFINGS

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.5074 – To amend the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 to delay implementation of the inclusion of oral-only ESRD-related drugs in the Medicare ESRD prospective payment system. Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.5076 – To clarify that, in awarding funding under title X of the Public Health Service Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may not discriminate against eligible States, individuals, or other entities for refusing to counsel or refer for abortions. Sponsor: Cole, Tom [Rep.-R-OK-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.5077 – To establish the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Eshoo, Anna G. [Rep.-D-CA-16]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.5080 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude certain Nurse Corps payments from gross income. Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.5093 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to preserve sole community hospital determinations made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Waltz, Michael [Rep.-R-FL-6]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.Res.639 – Supporting the goals and ideals of “Minority Mental Health Awareness Month” and recognizing the disproportionate impacts of mental health conditions and struggles on minority populations and communities; Sponsor: Crockett, Jasmine [Rep.-D-TX-30]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.640 – Addressing the national crisis of suicide among minority adolescents; Sponsor: Espaillat, Adriano [Rep.-D- NY-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and the Workforce

 

H.R.5116 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to extend health information technology assistance eligibility to behavioral health, mental health, and substance abuse professionals and facilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Matsui, Doris O. [Rep.-D-CA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.5128 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure stability in payments to home health agencies under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Sewell, Terri A. [Rep.-D-AL-7]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce