Healthcare

DEMO Act

United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019

Demonstrating that Empowerment Makes Opportunities Act or the DEMO Act This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants supporting workforce development training to place individuals with a criminal record in health care occupations. States, tribal organizations, workforce development organizations, institutions of higher education, and specified health care facilities are eligible to apply for such funds. Applicants must submit a plan to recruit, train, and provide post-employment support to program participants, among other requirements.

Territory Health Revitalization Act

United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019

Territory Health Revitalization Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reserve a portion of funding under the health profession opportunity grant program for U.S. territories and makes the Northern Mariana Islands eligible for program grants (which provide low-income individuals with education and training in health care occupations). HHS must award at least two grants in U.S. territories.

ENROLL Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019

Expand Navigators' Resources for Outreach, Learning, and Longevity Act of 2019 or the ENROLL Act of 2019 This bill makes several changes to the navigator program for health insurance exchanges (a program through which entities receive funding to provide education and enrollment assistance). Specifically, the bill addresses certain funding decisions and regulatory actions taken by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). For example, the bill increases funding for navigators in federally facilitated exchanges (FFEs) beginning in FY2020. (The CMS decreased annual funding for FFE navigators for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 program years.) The bill also counters guidance issued by the CMS regarding navigator criteria by requiring FFE navigators to be chosen without regard to how the entity provides information on association health plans or short-term, limited-duration insurance. The bill also reinstates certain requirements that were removed by the CMS in 2018. Specifically, the bill requires (1) at least two navigators in each FFE, including at least one community and consumer-focused nonprofit group; and (2) that navigators be physically present in the state where the exchange is located.

Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019

Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with other specified agencies and departments, to develop, publish, and submit to Congress a national One Health Framework for coordinated federal activities under the One Health Program, which encourages collaborative efforts to help better prevent, prepare for, and respond to zoonotic disease outbreaks. The framework must (1) describe existing efforts and contain recommendations for building upon and complementing the activities of federal entities; and (2) establish specified goals, including advancing the scientific understanding of the connections among human, animal, and environmental health. 

A bill to establish a process for updating the labeling of certain drugs with outdated labeling.

United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019

This bill authorizes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require updates to outdated labels for certain generic drugs if the updates will provide a public health benefit. Generally, the FDA may use this authority to update the label of a generic version of a brand-name drug that has been withdrawn from the market for reasons other than safety or effectiveness.

Palomares Veterans Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 19 June 2019

Palomares Veterans Act of 2019 This bill includes veterans who participated in the cleanup of radioactive materials at Palomares, Spain, as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs presumption of service-connection for specified cancers. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific disabilities diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.

LOWER HEALTH CARE COSTS ACT

United States · United States Senate · 18 June 2019

Drug Price Transparency for Medicare Patients Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019

Drug Price Transparency for Medicare Patients Act of 2019 This bill provides statutory authority for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule titled "Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Regulation to Require Drug Pricing Transparency," published on May 10, 2019. The rule requires direct-to-consumer television advertisements for covered drugs and biologics under Medicare and Medicaid to include the list price of a 30-day supply or for a typical course of treatment, if the list price is at least $35 per month. The rule takes effect July 9, 2019.

PROTECT Florida Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019

Prioritizing Revised Operations To Eliminate Cyanobacteria Toxins in Florida Act or the PROTECT Florida Act This bill modifies requirements regarding water infrastructure projects in central and southern Florida. Specifically, the Army Corps of Engineers must include in such projects specified public health considerations, including those related to cyanobacteria and other toxins. The bill also prohibits the use of restoration funds for deep well injection (a liquid-waste disposal technology). In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers must (1) develop a master operational manual to ensure system management that protects public health and Everglades restoration; and (2) with the National Academies of Sciences, study the legacy of pollution and nutrient loading, as well as the impacts of soil amendments.

Keep Physicians Serving Patients Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019

Keep Physicians Serving Patients Act of 2019 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to use specified data regarding physician wages and office rent when determining certain geographic adjustment factors for the payment of physician services under Medicare. With respect to such payment, the bill also makes permanent certain minimum adjustments to the work geographic index and extends to all localities certain minimum adjustments to the practice expense index.

Treatment Family Care Services Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2019

Treatment Family Care Services Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue guidance outlining opportunities for states to fund treatment family care services through Medicaid, the Payments for Foster Care and Permanency program, or other HHS programs. Treatment family care services are structured, daily emotional and behavioral services and interventions provided in a home-based setting for children less than 21 years old. Additionally, HHS must develop and issue guidance about best practices for states to establish treatment family care services programs.

Affordability is Access Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2019

Affordability is Access Act This bill establishes several requirements relating to health-insurance coverage of, and access to, over-the-counter contraceptives. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury to specify that private health-insurance plans must cover over-the-counter contraceptives that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), even without a prescription. Under current law, private health-insurance plans (with some exceptions) must cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, without cost-sharing requirements. The bill also prohibits retailers from interfering with an individual's access to oral contraceptives that are meant for routine, daily use and are FDA-approved for use without a prescription.

Sustaining Excellence in Medicaid Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

Empowering Beneficiaries, Ensuring Access, and Strengthening Accountability Act of 2019 This bill alters several Medicaid programs and funding mechanisms. Specifically, the bill makes appropriations through FY2024 for, and otherwise revises, the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program; allows state Medicaid fraud control units to review complaints regarding patients who are in noninstitutional or other settings; temporarily extends the applicability of Medicaid eligibility criteria that protect against spousal impoverishment for recipients of home and community-based services; temporarily extends the Medicaid demonstration program for certified community behavioral health clinics; repeals the requirement, under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, that drug manufacturers include the prices of certain authorized generic drugs when determining the average manufacturer price (AMP) of brand-name drugs (also known as a "blended AMP"), and excludes manufacturers from the definition of "wholesalers" for purposes of rebate calculations; and increases funding available to the Medicaid Improvement Fund beginning in FY2021.

LGBTQ Essential Data Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

LGBTQ Essential Data Act This bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to take measures to increase the frequency of collection of information on the sexual orientation and gender identity of deceased individuals through the National Violent Death Reporting System.

Fair AMP Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

Fair and Accurate Medicaid Pricing Act of 2019 or the Fair AMP Act This bill alters certain requirements and definitions under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program relating to rebate calculations. Specifically, the bill repeals the requirement that drug manufacturers include the prices of certain authorized generic drugs when determining the average manufacturer price (AMP) of brand-name drugs (also known as a "blended AMP"), and excludes manufacturers from the definition of "wholesalers" for purposes of rebate calculations.

Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to design national strategies and implement programs to address chronic homelessness. The bill further requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants for permanent supportive-housing services; mental health services; substance use disorder treatment; integrated, coordinated treatment for co-occurring disorders; health education; services designed to help individuals and families make progress toward self-sufficiency; and other supportive services that promote an end to chronic homelessness. Priority for grants is given to applicants that target services to individuals and families who have experienced more homelessness, use more public emergency-care services, or have a history with the criminal justice system.

No Health Care, No Raise Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

No Health Care, No Raise Act This bill allows an automatic pay adjustment for Members of Congress in a year only if the Department of Health and Human Services certifies that, as of October 1 of the previous year, all citizens are enrolled in health insurance coverage that provides essential health benefits.

Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2019 This bill specifies that certain deductible, coinsurance, initial coverage limit, and cost-sharing requirements that apply under the Medicare prescription drug benefit shall not apply with respect to vaccines that are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must provide to Medicare beneficiaries specified information regarding (1) coverage of vaccines for seniors, and (2) access to recommended vaccines without cost-sharing.

Premium Reduction Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

Premium Reduction Act of 2019 This bill provides funding for grants for states to establish invisible high-risk pool and reinsurance programs through applications for state innovation waivers from certain health insurance coverage requirements. A reinsurance program generally permits health insurance issuers to transfer a portion of the cost of the coverage for enrollees with large claims to the state, thus facilitating the enrollment of higher-risk individuals, including those with preexisting conditions. Similarly, an invisible high-risk pool generally identifies and enrolls higher-risk individuals and the state program pays a percentage of any insurance claims of such enrollees that exceed a predetermined amount. In states that do not establish such programs, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must make market stabilization payments to health insurance issuers. The bill further directs HHS to expedite the review of state innovation waiver applications that include a high-risk pool or reinsurance program. States may model a waiver application on the application of a state that has an approved waiver for such a program.

Streamlining Part D Appeals Process Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

Streamlining Part D Appeals Process Act This bill allows a Medicare beneficiary to directly appeal a pharmacy's refusal to fill a prescription as a coverage determination under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Currently, if a pharmacy refuses to fill a prescription, the pharmacy provides the beneficiary with a notice explaining how to contact the beneficiary's prescription drug plan (PDP); the beneficiary must then obtain a written coverage determination (i.e., a decision denying coverage) from the PDP before initiating the appeals process.

Affordability is Access Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

Affordability is Access Act This bill establishes several requirements relating to health-insurance coverage of, and access to, over-the-counter contraceptives. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury to specify that private health-insurance plans must cover over-the-counter contraceptives that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), even without a prescription. Under current law, private health-insurance plans (with some exceptions) must cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, without cost-sharing requirements. The bill also prohibits retailers from interfering with an individual's access to oral contraceptives that are meant for routine, daily use and are FDA-approved for use without a prescription.

Protecting Personal Health Data Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

Protecting Personal Health Data Act This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to regulate consumer devices, services, applications, and software that (1) are primarily designed for or marketed to consumers; (2) primarily collect or use personal health data; and (3) are not primarily designed for use by entities such as health care plans, providers, or clearinghouses. The bill also establishes a national task force on health data protection.

Smoke-Free Schools Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019

Smoke-Free Schools Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the use of any tobacco product (e.g., electronic nicotine delivery systems such as e-cigarettes) in an indoor facility that is regularly used for children's services, including health care, day care, early development, education, or library services. Current law prohibits smoking in such facilities.

VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019

VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act This bill authorizes health professional trainees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide treatment to veterans via telemedicine. To provide such treatment, a trainee must be under the supervision of a VA health care professional who is authorized to provide health care via telemedicine.

Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019

Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act This bill imposes requirements and standards related to the care of aliens in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. CBP shall conduct an initial health screening of each alien in custody to identify those with acute conditions and high-risk vulnerabilities and to provide appropriate healthcare. CBP shall conduct the screening within 12 hours of each alien's initial detention, and within 3 hours for certain priority individuals such as children, pregnant women, and those with disabilities. The bill imposes various requirements related to the services, personnel, and infrastructure for providing such screenings, such as providing interpreters, chaperones, and mental health treatment when necessary. CBP shall ensure detainees have access to drinking water, toilets, sanitation facilities, hygiene products, food, and shelter. The bill imposes certain standards relating to such requirements, such as the minimum amount of drinking water and space for each detainee. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall enter into memoranda of understanding with various emergency government relief agencies to address instances when surge capacity is necessary. The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct unannounced inspections of ports of entry, border patrol stations, and detention facilities and report the results to Congress. The Government Accountability Office shall assess CBP's management of such facilities and whether CBP and DHS processes are in compliance with this bill's requirements.

Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019

Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2019 This bill provides for coverage under Medicare of genetic counseling services that are furnished by genetic counselors. Covered services include those services, as well as incidental services and supplies, that would otherwise be covered under Medicare if provided by a physician.

Pharmacy Benefit Manager Accountability Study Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019

Pharmacy Benefit Manager Accountability Study Act of 2019 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) with respect to federally facilitated exchanges, including the role of PBMs in pharmaceutical supply chains, the competition among PBMs, and the use of rebates and fees by PBMs in such exchanges.

Better Tools for Healthy Living Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019

Better Tools for Healthy Living Act This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop, and provide technical assistance to implement, a guide on evidence-based strategies to build and maintain effective obesity-control programs for state and local health departments, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations.

Affordable Medications Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019

Affordable Medications Act This bill revises and expands various requirements relating to prescription-drug pricing and affordability. Specifically, the bill expands financial reporting requirements for drug manufacturers and establishes corresponding civil penalties for noncompliance; adds reporting requirements for certain nonprofit patient-assistance programs; requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate prices for certain prescription drugs under Medicare; requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within the CMS to test specified models for negotiating drug prices; establishes reporting requirements, and corresponding civil penalties for noncompliance, for pharmaceutical companies with respect to spikes in prescription-drug prices; establishes an excise tax on prescription drugs subject to price spikes; lessens prescription-drug cost-sharing requirements under qualified health plans and group health plans; modifies requirements for the importation of prescription drugs; requires drug manufacturers to provide drug rebates for drugs dispensed to certain low-income individuals under the Medicare program; limits the time frame that trade agreements are required to provide market exclusivity for biological products; establishes an innovation incentive fund for new or more effective treatments of bacterial infections; establishes a Center for Clinical Research within the National Institutes of Health; revises certain time frames and conditions related to drug exclusivity; requires the Food and Drug Administration to establish a database of generic drugs; and modifies other provisions related to generic drugs, prescription-drug advertising, disclosure of wholesale acquisition prices, and patent-infringement proceedings.

Saving Lives Through Better Data Act

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019

Saving Lives Through Better Data Act This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to take a series of actions relating to public health data systems. Among other things, the CDC must award grants to help public health departments modernize and improve their systems with respect to data collection, analysis, and reporting.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 This bill authorizes FY2020 appropriations and sets forth policies regarding the military activities of the Department of Defense (DOD), military construction, and the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE). It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation. The bill authorizes appropriations to DOD for (1) Procurement, including helicopters, weapons, aircraft, vessels, shipbuilding and conversion, and missiles; (2) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation; and (3) Operation and Maintenance. The bill also authorizes the FY2020 personnel strengths for active duty and reserve forces. The bill authorizes appropriations and sets forth policies regarding military personnel; compensation and other personnel benefits; health care; acquisition policy and management; DOD organization and management; matters relating to foreign nations; cooperative threat reduction; working capital funds; chemical agents and munitions destruction; drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; the Defense Inspector General; the Defense Health Program; the National Defense Sealift Fund; Overseas Contingency Operations; strategic programs, cyber, and intelligence matters; and the establishment of the Space Force within the Air Force. The bill authorizes appropriations and sets forth policies regarding military construction for the Army, Navy, Air Force, defense agencies, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program, and Guard and Reserve Forces facilities. The bill authorizes appropriations for base realignment and closure (BRAC) activities and prohibits an additional BRAC round. The bill also authorizes appropriations and sets forth policies for DOE national security programs, including the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. The bill authorizes appropriations for the Maritime Administration.

Disaster Relief Medicaid Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019

Disaster Relief Medicaid Act This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements relating to Medicaid coverage of individuals affected by a federally declared major disaster. In particular, the bill provides for specific disaster relief coverage under Medicaid for individuals who meet specified income eligibility standards and, during the seven-day period preceding the disaster, were either residents of the impacted area or were employed in the impacted area (and subsequently lost employment). Coverage is effective for two years after the date of the disaster declaration. State Medicaid programs must provide disaster relief coverage that is at least as comprehensive as the state's Medicaid coverage and the Medicaid coverage of the individual's home state, as applicable. The bill applies a 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage to such coverage and related administrative expenses.

Fair AMP Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019

Fair and Accurate Medicaid Pricing Act of 2019 or the Fair AMP Act This bill alters certain requirements and definitions under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program relating to rebate calculations. Specifically, the bill repeals the requirement that drug manufacturers include the prices of certain authorized generic drugs when determining the average manufacturer price (AMP) of brand-name drugs (also known as a "blended AMP"), and excludes manufacturers from the definition of "wholesalers" for purposes of rebate calculations.

Territories Health Equity Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019

Territories Health Equity Act of 2019 This bill alters provisions under Medicaid, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage relating to U.S. territories, and generally modifies and establishes programs to expand health insurance coverage for residents. Among other things, the bill eliminates Medicaid funding limitations for U.S. territories beginning in FY2020, repeals provisions that exclude residents of Puerto Rico from a certain automatic enrollment process for Medicare medical services, establishes minimum criteria for certain elements used in Medicare Advantage payment calculations for areas within U.S. territories, and allows residents of U.S. territories who are unable to obtain health insurance through their employer or a health insurance exchange to instead obtain coverage that is at least as broad as the coverage available to Members of Congress and their staff through the District of Columbia exchange.

A resolution designating July 17, 2019, as "Glioblastoma Awareness Day".

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019

This resolution designates July 17, 2019, as Glioblastoma Awareness Day.

Mental Health Parity Compliance Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2019

Mental Health Parity Compliance Act This bill revises the mental health parity rules to require private health insurance plans that offer both medical and mental health coverage to prepare a comparative analysis of nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs). (NQTLs are limitations on the scope or duration of benefits for treatment, such as preauthorization requirements.) The comparative analysis must be available for the Department of Health and Human Services upon request and must include (1) a description of the NQTL and the specific services to which it applies, (2) the factors used to determine when the NQTL will apply, and (3) a description of how the NQTLs applicable to mental health or substance use disorder benefits are comparable to, and no more stringent than, the NQTLs applicable to medical or surgical benefits, among other information.

RISE from Trauma Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2019

Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion from Trauma Act or the RISE from Trauma Act This bill establishes and extends various programs to coordinate and support services for infants, children, youth, and families who have experienced, or may experience, trauma. These programs include grants to establish coordinating bodies to create strategic plans to address trauma based on community needs; extending through FY2024 the performance partnership pilot program for children who have experienced trauma; recruiting individuals from communities that have high levels of trauma into the AmeriCorps and the National Health Service Corps programs; grants providing comprehensive services and long-term case management to individuals who have been admitted to hospitals for drug overdoses, suicide attempts, or violent injury; grants to states to ensure that health insurance plans comply with mental health parity rules; grants providing arts programming for children who have experienced trauma; and reporting and guidance-issuing requirements for various agencies relating to how federal programs are addressing trauma. Additionally, the bill establishes (1) clinical and early childhood workforce development programs, (2) training and support programs, and (3) toolkits for front-line service providers. The bill also (1) provides grants for clinical training in institutions of higher education, (2) expands the Teacher Quality Partnership grants program, (3) provides grants to support and prevent childhood exposure to substance abuse and violence, and (4) establishes the National Law Enforcement Child and Youth Trauma Coordinating Center to assist local juvenile justice agencies.

Supporting National Men's Health Week.

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2019

This concurrent resolution expresses support for National Men's Health Week.

RISE from Trauma Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2019

Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion from Trauma Act or the RISE from Trauma Act This bill establishes and extends various programs to coordinate and support services for infants, children, youth, and families who have experienced, or may experience, trauma. These programs include grants to establish coordinating bodies to create strategic plans to address trauma based on community needs; extending through FY2024 the performance partnership pilot program for children who have experienced trauma; recruiting individuals from communities that have high levels of trauma into the AmeriCorps and the National Health Service Corps programs; grants providing comprehensive services and long-term case management to individuals who have been admitted to hospitals for drug overdoses, suicide attempts, or violent injury; grants to states to ensure that health insurance plans comply with mental health parity rules; grants providing arts programming for children who have experienced trauma; and reporting and guidance-issuing requirements for various agencies relating to how federal programs are addressing trauma. Additionally, the bill establishes (1) clinical and early childhood workforce development programs, (2) training and support programs, and (3) toolkits for front-line service providers. The bill also (1) provides grants for clinical training in institutions of higher education, (2) expands the Teacher Quality Partnership grants program, (3) provides grants to support and prevent childhood exposure to substance abuse and violence, and (4) establishes the National Law Enforcement Child and Youth Trauma Coordinating Center to assist local juvenile justice agencies.

Disaster Relief Medicaid Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2019

Disaster Relief Medicaid Act This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements relating to Medicaid coverage of individuals affected by a federally declared major disaster. In particular, the bill provides for specific disaster relief coverage under Medicaid for individuals who meet specified income eligibility standards and, during the seven-day period preceding the disaster, were either residents of the impacted area or were employed in the impacted area (and subsequently lost employment). Coverage is effective for two years after the date of the disaster declaration. State Medicaid programs must provide disaster relief coverage that is at least as comprehensive as the state's Medicaid coverage and the Medicaid coverage of the individual's home state, as applicable. The bill applies a 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage to such coverage and related administrative expenses.

South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2020

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2019 This bill establishes, or authorizes to be established, programs that support heart-disease research and awareness among the South Asian population of the United States. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must award grants to states for awareness initiatives, educational materials, and research catalogs regarding the prevalence of heart disease, including the association of type 2 diabetes, with respect to the South Asian population. The National Institutes of Health may also award grants to support research in this area.

PAWS Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act of 2019 or the PAWS Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a grant program for the purpose of pairing service dogs with eligible veterans. Organizations that receive grants shall provide veterinary health insurance coverage, hardware, and travel expenses for each service dog and veteran participating in the program. Eligible veterans are those who (1) are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) have been evaluated and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but remain diagnosed with PTSD, (3) may benefit from a service dog, and (4) agree to successfully complete training provided by an eligible organization. Veterans are required to see a VA health care provider at least once every six months to determine whether the veteran continues to benefit from a service dog. Eligible organizations are nonprofit organizations that provide service dogs to veterans with PTSD, meet publicly available standards set forth by the Association of Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans, have expertise in the needs of veterans with PTSD, agree to cover all costs in excess of the grant amount to guarantee the benefits of the program, agree to reaccept or replace a service dog provided to a veteran, and submit an application to the VA. Any improvement in PTSD symptoms as a result of the provision of a service dog shall not affect the veteran's eligibility for any other VA benefits. The Government Accountability Office must report on the grant program.

Jeanette Acosta Invest in Women’s Health Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

Jeanette Acosta Invest in Women's Health Act of 2019 This bill establishes, or authorizes to be established, a series of programs relating to cancer screenings for women. Among other things, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish demonstration programs that (1) support certain cancer-screening training for health care providers at family planning and community health centers, and (2) support increased co-testing of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer among demographics that have disproportionate rates of cervical cancer.

Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act This bill establishes circumstances under which an occupational therapist may conduct an initial or comprehensive assessment for an individual who is eligible for home health services under Medicare. Specifically, an occupational therapist may conduct the assessment if the physician's referral order does not include skilled nursing care but does include (1) occupational therapy, and (2) physical therapy or speech language pathology.

GEDI Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

Gestational Diabetes Act of 2019 or the GEDI Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a multisite gestational diabetes (i.e., diabetes occuring during pregnancy) research project to expand and enhance surveillance data and public health research about gestational diabetes.  The CDC must: (1) award grants for demonstration projects to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes, the recurrence of such disease in subsequent pregnancies, and the development of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes; and (2) work with state and tribal diabetes prevention and control programs assisted by the CDC to encourage postpartum follow-up after gestational diabetes to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes and its recurrence, the development of type 2 diabetes in at-risk women, and related complications.

Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2019 This bill establishes several prohibitions, requirements, and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, the bill prohibits MA plans from instituting additional prior authorization requirements for surgeries (including related items) that are furnished to a patient during other surgeries for which prior authorization was not required or was already received. Additionally, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.

Opioid Treatment Surge Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

Opioid Treatment Surge Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to assess market-share-based fees, for the next 10 years, on drug manufacturers that have produced opioid drugs since 1999. Opioid drugs manufactured to treat opioid addiction, cancer patients, or hospice patients are, however, exempt from this assessment. All assessed fees must be used for the substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant program.

CARE for Families Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

Community Access, Resources, and Education for Families Act or the CARE for Families Act This bill establishes a grant program in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to facilitate collaboration between WIC agencies and clinics and community health partners, including health care providers, social services programs, and early childhood learning and care providers. Among other purposes, WIC agencies and clinics may use grants to (1) promote community health and nutrition, (2) create linkages among such community partners, (3) ensure consistent nutrition education and breastfeeding information, and (4) conduct outreach and enrollment for eligible participants.

Mental Health Parity Compliance Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

Mental Health Parity Compliance Act This bill revises the mental health parity rules to require private health insurance plans that offer both medical and mental health coverage to prepare a comparative analysis of nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs). (NQTLs are limitations on the scope or duration of benefits for treatment, such as preauthorization requirements.) The comparative analysis must be available for the Department of Health and Human Services upon request and must include (1) a description of the NQTL and the specific services to which it applies, (2) the factors used to determine when the NQTL will apply, and (3) a description of how the NQTLs applicable to mental health or substance use disorder benefits are comparable to, and no more stringent than, the NQTLs applicable to medical or surgical benefits, among other information.

Jeanette Acosta Invest in Women’s Health Act of 2019

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019

Jeanette Acosta Invest in Women's Health Act of 2019 This bill establishes, or authorizes to be established, a series of programs relating to cancer screenings for women. Among other things, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish demonstration programs that (1) support certain cancer-screening training for health care providers at family planning and community health centers, and (2) support increased co-testing of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer among demographics that have disproportionate rates of cervical cancer.