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751 records in US in 2019
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
This resolution expresses support for the goals of International Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
This resolution expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week. It also recognizes the contributions of nurses to the U.S. health care system.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
This resolution expresses support for the designation of May 17, 2019, as DIPG Pediatric Brain Cancer Awareness Day.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2019
This resolution congratulates Vision To Learn on helping 200,000 students and expresses support for its mission to ensure that no child goes without the glasses needed to succeed in school and life.
United States · United States House of Representatives · 22 May 2019
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Respond to the Needs in the Opioid War Act or the Respond NOW Act This bill establishes the Opioid Epidemic Response Fund through FY2024 to fund programs and activities addressing the opioid and substance use epidemic, including Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration demonstration grants; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance, prevention, and treatment programs; Food and Drug Administration support of innovation in non-opioid and nonaddictive medical products for pain treatment; National Institutes of Health research on creating longer-lasting or faster-acting antidotes for opioid overdoses; Health Resources and Services Administration efforts to increase the availability and capacity of the behavioral health workforce; and Administration for Children and Families programs for child abuse prevention and treatment. The bill also extends funding through FY2024 for programs to help states and tribal organizations address substance use prevention and treatment, allows a practitioner to dispense narcotic drugs for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment to an increased number of patients under specified conditions, and includes methadone treatment in Medicare coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act This bill modifies the Conrad 30 Waiver program, which incentivizes qualified foreign physicians to serve in underserved communities. It also extends statutory authority for the program through FY2021. Aliens coming to the United States under a J-1 nonimmigrant visa to receive medical training typically must leave the country and reside for two years abroad before being eligible to apply for an immigrant visa or permanent residence. The Conrad program waives this requirement for individuals who meet certain qualifications, including serving for a number of years at a health care facility in an underserved area. The bill increases the number of waivers that a state may obtain each fiscal year from 30 to 35 if a certain number of waivers were used the previous year, and provides for further adjustments depending on demand. An alien physician may be employed at an academic medical center to meet the Conrad program's employment requirements if the alien's work is in the public interest, even if the medical center is not in an underserved area. Employment contracts for alien physicians under the Conrad program shall contain certain information, such as the maximum number of on-call hours per week the physician shall have to work. Certain alien physicians (along with the physician's spouse and children) shall be exempt from the direct annual numerical limits on immigration, including those physicians that have met certain requirements related to visas for physicians to serve in underserved areas.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Opioid Crisis Accountability Act of 2019 This bill establishes a series of restrictions and requirements relating to opioid marketing and distribution practices. Specifically, the bill prohibits (1) knowingly making false advertising or marketing claims regarding the addictive nature of opioids; (2) knowingly supplying communities with quantities of opioids that are not medically reasonable; or (3) failing to report distribution orders, or patterns of orders, while knowing that the orders are not being dispensed in a medically reasonable manner. Employees of opioid manufacturers and distributors are subject to civil penalties and imprisonment for violations; corporations and executives are subject to civil penalties. Manufacturers shall also lose their period of market exclusivity. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must assess a fee against each corporation that, between January 1, 1993, and the date of enactment of this bill, manufactured or distributed opioids, if such opioids were covered under a federal health program at least once during this period. Manufacturers that fail to pay the fee shall lose associated drug approval until the fee is paid in full. The bill authorizes collected civil penalties and fees to be used for activities that address opioid misuse and abuse, including family and educational programs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Medical Device Guardians Act This bill requires physicians to report significant adverse experiences caused by medical devices to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA must establish an electronic reporting system to facilitate compliance with this bill and must publish the reports online.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Medicare IVIG Access Enhancement Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a three-year demonstration project to evaluate the benefits of providing Medicare coverage and payment for items and services needed for the in-home administration of intravenous immune globulin to treat chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy or multifocal motor neuropathy. Beneficiary participation shall be voluntary.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies Act or the Maternal CARE Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to health-professional training programs for training that addresses implicit bias (e.g., racial bias) in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. HHS must also award grants to up to 10 states for pregnancy medical-home programs that reduce adverse maternal-health outcomes and racial disparities. Among other requirements, such programs must prioritize the care of uninsured individuals or Medicaid enrollees. The National Academy of Medicine must make recommendations for incorporating bias recognition in clinical-skills tests at medical schools.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
This resolution expresses support for the goals of International Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Physical Activities Recommendations for Americans Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish a report at least every 10 years that contains physical activity recommendations for the general public based on the most current scientific and medical knowledge, including information for population subgroups, as needed. HHS must publish updated reports that detail evidence-based practices and highlight continuing physical activity issues between the publications of full reports. Updated reports may focus on particular population subgroups or issues relating to physical activity. A federal agency that proposes to issue physical activity recommendations that differ from the recommendations in the most recent full report must submit the proposed recommendations to HHS for review.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Vaccine Awareness Campaign to Champion Immunization Nationally and Enhance Safety Act of 2019 or the VACCINES Act This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to award grants to support a national campaign to increase vaccination rates. The CDC may also award certain project grants to help states, local governments, and other public entities understand barriers to vaccination, improve vaccination rates, and assess certain public health outcomes related to vaccinations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act of 2019 or the ECHO 2019 Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program that supports the implementation of certain educational, specialty health care technology in rural or medically underserved areas. Specifically, HHS must award grants to health care entities serving rural areas, health-professional shortage areas, medically underserved populations, or Native Americans for specified videoconferencing technology that connects health professionals with specialists (e.g., chronic-disease, mental-health, and substance-use disorder specialists).
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Second Look at Drug Patents Act of 2019 This bill addresses the publication of drug patent information. Drug manufacturers must submit patent information to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) within 30 days following approval of a new drug application or an abbreviated new drug application. For patents issued after approval of an application, a drug manufacturer must submit the required patent information within 30 days of issuance. The USPTO must publish the patent information and invite requests for patent validity challenges. The Food and Drug Administration must provisionally list in the Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations publication (commonly known as the Orange Book) a drug patent submitted to the USPTO in accordance with this bill until the Patent Trial and Appeal Board confirms the patent to be patentable or the patent is not challenged within a specific time frame.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish a report at least every 10 years that contains physical-activity recommendations for the general public based on the most current scientific and medical knowledge, including information for population subgroups as needed. HHS must publish updated reports that detail evidence-based practices and highlight continuing physical-activity issues between the publications of full reports. Updated reports may focus on particular population subgroups or issues relating to physical activity. A federal agency that proposes to issue physical-activity recommendations that differ from the recommendations in the most recent full report must consider the recommendations in reports issued under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Medical Billing Fairness Act of 2019 This bill requires hospitals, as a condition of Medicare participation, to (1) allow in-network patients, when scheduling a nonemergency procedure, to request only in-network treatment; and (2) if in-network treatment is not available, pay for any additional costs to the patient or the patient's insurer.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2019
Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies Act or the Maternal CARE Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to health-professional training programs for training that addresses implicit bias (e.g., racial bias) in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. HHS must also award grants to up to 10 states for pregnancy medical-home programs that reduce adverse maternal-health outcomes and racial disparities. Among other requirements, such programs must prioritize the care of uninsured individuals or Medicaid enrollees. The National Academy of Medicine must make recommendations for incorporating bias recognition in clinical-skills tests at medical schools.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act This bill requires the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury to (1) cooperatively issue regulations to require group health plans and health insurance issuers to annually disclose the analyses performed to ensure compliance with mental health parity laws, and (2) conduct annual random audits of group health plans and health insurance issuers to determine compliance. (Mental health parity laws prohibit health insurance plans that cover mental health and substance use disorder services from imposing less favorable limitations on those benefits than are placed on medical and surgical benefits under that plan.) Additionally, HHS must establish a consumer parity unit: (1) to facilitate the collection of, monitoring of, and response to consumer complaints; and (2) to provide consumers information about the disclosure requirements and enforcement of the mental health parity laws.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Veterans Affairs Transfer of Information and Sharing of Disability Examination Procedures With DOD Doctors Act This bill addresses the sharing of medical information and disability examination procedures between the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA). It requires that if a member of the Armed Forces who is required to receive a physical examination upon separation from active duty and has or is believed to have a medical condition that may make the member eligible for veterans' disability compensation and benefits, the examination must be performed by a VA-certified health care provider. If the condition is discovered during the physical examination and the examining health care provider is not VA-certified, the examination must be completed by a VA-certified provider. An eligibility determination made as part of such an examination shall be binding on the VA and be used as the basis for assigning the member's disability rating. The VA and DOD shall jointly establish a system to share data and maintain the medical and personnel records of Armed Forces members and veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Chiropractors Equity Act of 2019 This bill includes chiropractors as authorized physicians who may enter into private contracts with Medicare beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Vaccine Awareness Campaign to Champion Immunization Nationally and Enhance Safety Act of 2019 or the VACCINES Act of 2019 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to take a series of actions relating to vaccination rates and awareness. Specifically, the CDC must (1) develop a national surveillance system to monitor vaccination rates, and (2) conduct a national campaign to increase awareness of the importance of vaccines. Additionally, the National Vaccine Advisory Committee must assess national confidence in vaccines and update a specified 2015 report accordingly.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Finding Orphan-disease Remedies With Antifungal Research and Development Act of 2019 or the FORWARD Act of 2019 This bill establishes programs to support the research of endemic fungal diseases and the development of antifungal drugs. (Endemic fungal diseases are fungal infections, e.g., Valley fever, that tend to to occur in specific geographic areas and affect particular at-risk populations, e.g., older adults.) Specifically, the bill establishes the Endemic Fungal Disease Working Group to review, coordinate, and make recommendations about the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) efforts to address endemic fungal diseases. The working group is comprised of experts from both relevant federal agencies and the private sector. The bill requires HHS to award grants for fungal disease research to local hospitals, higher education institutions, public health agencies, and nonprofit organizations. HHS also must establish an accelerated research program modeled after its research program to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria. The bill further requires the National Institutes of Health to develop a publicly-accessible server using blockchain technology to securely facilitate the sharing of fungal disease clinical research data. (Blockchain technology uses cryptography to create a digital ledger of transactions that can be simultaneously used and shared within a large, decentralized, and permanent network.) Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must prioritize the review of drugs to treat endemic fungal diseases and fast track the approval of such drugs at the request of applicants. The FDA must issue draft and final guidance related to the approval of antifungal products and therapies, including those that diagnose, treat, or prevent Valley fever.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Protect Medicaid Act This bill prohibits federal payment under Medicaid for the administrative costs of providing health benefits to noncitizens who are ineligible for Medicaid based on their immigration status. The Department of Health and Human Services must report on specified information regarding states that provide health benefits to such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
This concurrent resolution expresses support for efforts to ensure that all women have access to comprehensive, preventative, and affordable health care services and are able to receive unbiased information about those services.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Opioid Crisis Accountability Act of 2019 This bill establishes a series of restrictions and requirements relating to opioid marketing and distribution practices. Specifically, the bill prohibits (1) knowingly making false advertising or marketing claims regarding the addictive nature of opioids; (2) knowingly supplying communities with quantities of opioids that are not medically reasonable; or (3) failing to report distribution orders, or patterns of orders, while knowing that the orders are not being dispensed in a medically reasonable manner. Employees of opioid manufacturers and distributors are subject to civil penalties and imprisonment for violations; corporations and executives are subject to civil penalties. Manufacturers shall also lose their period of market exclusivity. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must assess a fee against each corporation that, between January 1, 1993, and the date of enactment of this bill, manufactured or distributed opioids, if such opioids were covered under a federal health program at least once during this period. Manufacturers that fail to pay the fee shall lose associated drug approval until the fee is paid in full. The bill authorizes collected civil penalties and fees to be used for activities that address opioid misuse and abuse, including family and educational programs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Know the Price Act of 2019 This bill prohibits private health insurance plans from entering an agreement with a service provider, network of providers, or third-party administrator that restricts the plan from sharing cost or quality of care information.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act This bill requires the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury to (1) cooperatively issue regulations to require group health plans and health insurance issuers to annually disclose the analyses performed to ensure compliance with mental health parity laws, and (2) conduct annual random audits of group health plans and health insurance issuers to determine compliance. (Mental health parity laws prohibit health insurance plans that cover mental health and substance use disorder services from imposing less favorable limitations on those benefits than are placed on medical and surgical benefits under that plan.) Additionally, HHS must establish a consumer parity unit: (1) to facilitate the collection of, monitoring of, and response to consumer complaints; and (2) to provide consumers information about the disclosure requirements and enforcement of the mental health parity laws.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
Finding Orphan-disease Remedies With Antifungal Research and Development Act of 2019 or the FORWARD Act of 2019 This bill establishes programs to support the research of endemic fungal diseases and the development of antifungal drugs. (Endemic fungal diseases are fungal infections, e.g., Valley fever, that tend to occur in specific geographic areas and affect particular at-risk populations, e.g., older adults.) Specifically, the bill establishes the Endemic Fungal Disease Working Group to review, coordinate, and make recommendations about the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) efforts to address endemic fungal diseases. The working group is comprised of experts from both relevant federal agencies and the private sector. The bill requires HHS to award grants for fungal disease research to local hospitals, higher education institutions, public health agencies, and nonprofit organizations. HHS also must establish an accelerated research program modeled after its research program to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria. The bill further requires the National Institutes of Health to develop a publicly-accessible server using blockchain technology to securely facilitate the sharing of fungal disease clinical research data. (Blockchain technology uses cryptography to create a digital ledger of transactions that can be simultaneously used and shared within a large, decentralized, and permanent network.) Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must prioritize the review of drugs to treat endemic fungal diseases and fast track the approval of such drugs at the request of applicants. The FDA must issue draft and final guidance related to the approval of antifungal products and therapies, including those that diagnose, treat, or prevent Valley fever.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
No Junk Plans Act This bill nullifies a rule by the Department of Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services regarding short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans. Short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans are plans that may only offer coverage for a limited amount of time under law and that are exempt from the market requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (e.g., coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions). The rule increases the maximum authorized duration of such plans from less than 3 months (including renewals) to an initial maximum duration of less than 12 months (with a total duration of up to 36 months, including renewals). The rule took effect October 2, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2019
This concurrent resolution expresses support for efforts to ensure that all women have access to comprehensive, preventative, and affordable health care services and are able to receive unbiased information about those services.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act This bill decriminalizes marijuana. Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who imports, exports, manufactures, distributes, or possesses with intent to distribute marijuana. Additionally, the bill does the following: establishes a trust fund to assist women-owned and minority-owned marijuana businesses, requires federal research on the impacts of marijuana use on highway safety and public health, authorizes federal restrictions on the marketing of marijuana-related products, and authorizes grants for state and local governments to expunge or seal convictions for marijuana possession.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Humane Retirement Act This bill requires animal care committees at entities that receive federal funds for biomedical or behavioral research to make reasonable efforts to find parties to adopt dogs and cats that have been retired from research. Prior to euthanizing, the animal care committee must assess the temperament of the dog or cat to determine whether it is suitable for adoption and, if so, make reasonable efforts to offer the dog or cat to an adopting party.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Parity Enforcement Act of 2019 This bill provides authority for the Department of Labor to enforce the parity requirements for group health plans with respect to the coverage of mental health and substance use disorder benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act This bill decriminalizes marijuana. Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who imports, exports, manufactures, distributes, or possesses with intent to distribute marijuana. Additionally, the bill does the following: establishes a trust fund to assist women-owned and minority-owned marijuana businesses, requires federal research on the impacts of marijuana use on highway safety and public health, authorizes federal restrictions on the marketing of marijuana-related products, and authorizes grants for state and local governments to expunge or seal convictions for marijuana possession.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Labor Leave Act This bill requires an employer to maintain an employee's health care coverage during any period the employee takes family and medical leave when the employer engages in a lockout during the period of leave. (In this bill, "lockout" means a labor dispute involving a work stoppage, in which an employer withholds work from its employees in order to gain a concession from the employees.)
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2019 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of services that are furnished by a certified radiologist assistant under the supervision of a radiologist. Payment must be made to the supervising radiologist.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2019
Tobacco-Free Youth Act This bill raises the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21. States that do not comply with this restriction are ineligible for certain grant funding.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2019
Family-to-Family Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 the Family-to-Family Health Information Centers Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The program awards grants to family-run organizations to support the provision of information and peer support to families of children with special health care needs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2019
Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the use of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (commonly referred to as PFAS) in food contact substances. A food contact substance is a substance intended for use as a component of materials used in manufacturing, packing, packaging, transporting, or holding food if such use is not intended to have a technical effect in such food.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2019
Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop and implement an outreach and education strategy regarding behavioral health issues among the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations. The strategy must be designed to promote behavioral and mental health and reduce stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance abuse among such populations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2019
This resolution supports the goals and ideals of an International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. The resolution encourages (1) health care providers to offer culturally and clinically competent care to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community; (2) schools to support the creation of gay-straight alliances; (3) individuals to learn about national resources for those who identify as LGBT; and (4) funding organizations, aid efforts, and governments to prioritize the health and human rights of LGBT people.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Vietnam-Era Veterans Hepatitis C Testing Enhancement Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a one-year pilot program to make hepatitis C testing available to certain veterans at events organized by veterans service organizations. To be eligible, a veteran must have served in the active military, naval, or air service between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, and must have been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. The program shall be carried out in two rural and three urban Veterans Integrated Service Networks (regional VA health care administrative areas). The VA shall expand the program to all networks if at least 350,000 veterans are tested for hepatitis C by the program's termination date.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness for Health Act of 2019 or the EMPOWER for Health Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 certain Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) training and education grants programs for health care professionals, including, among others, funding to increase the number of health care professionals from underrepresented groups. The bill also revises and reauthorizes through FY2024 the HRSA Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program and the Geriatrics Academic Career Award Program. Grants under these programs may be used to (1) support clinical training and integrate health care services for older adults and (2) promote the career development of eligible faculty specializing in geriatric health. HRSA must prioritize the funding of training and services in rural and underserved areas. Further, the bill reauthorizes the pediatric specialty loan repayment program. The program provides qualified pediatric medical specialists or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health specialists up to three years of loan repayment in exchange for two years of service providing health care in an area with limited access to such care.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover (1) specified infertility treatments (e.g., in vitro fertilization), if the plan also covers obstetrical services; and (2) fertility preservation services for individuals who undergo medically necessary treatment that may cause impairment of fertility. Private health insurance plans must apply cost sharing for such services that does not exceed the amount for similar services covered by the plan. Further, plans are prohibited from (1) providing incentives for plan holders to forego infertility treatment, or (2) reducing the reimbursement rate to providers of such treatments. The bill also extends infertility treatment and fertility preservation coverage to Medicaid enrollees, federal employees, members of the military, and veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Training the Next Generation of Primary Care Doctors Act of 2019 This bill alters funding provisions, and establishes additional reporting requirements, relating to the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The program supports training for primary-care-physician and dental residents at community-based clinics. The bill (1) establishes certain parameters for payments to approved and newly approved graduate medical-residency training programs, and (2) requires HRSA to publish a report regarding new and expanded programs.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2019 This bill makes the provision of physical therapy services a profession eligible for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program. The NHSC Loan Repayment Program assists specified health care professionals to repay eligible student loans in exchange for providing services in areas with limited access to health care.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to administer a Federal Invisible Risk Sharing Program that pays health insurers for claims by eligible individuals in order to lower health-insurance premiums in the individual market.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2019
Rural Health Clinic Modernization Act of 2019 This bill makes a series of changes to criteria, requirements, and payments for rural health clinics under Medicare. Among other things, the bill (1) allows rural health clinics that are not directed by physicians to enter into arrangements with physician assistants or nurse practitioners that generally comply with state laws (regarding scope of practice), rather than other specific requirements; (2) allows rural health clinics to serve as the distant site for purposes of telehealth services; and (3) beginning in 2020, increases the maximum payment rate per visit for rural health clinics.