Healthcare

Long Term Care Quality Improvement Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005

Long Term Care Quality Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to: (1) detailed reporting of nursing expenditures; (2) development and reporting of new quality measures; and (3) linking of payments to quality performance. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study current and future financing of quality nursing facility care.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit to individuals for certain long-term care expenses.

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers a tax credit for certain long-term health care insurance premiums and expenses paid for the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse or dependents. Limits the amount of such credit to $1,000 per year ($2,000 for joint returns).

Health and Higher Education Facilities Improvement Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2005

Health and Higher Education Facilities Improvement Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a small tax-exempt bond issuer, the proceeds of the obligations of which are to be used to make or finance eligible loans for health care or educational purposes, to elect to apply specified current limitations on the amount of obligations by treating each borrower as the issuer of a separate issue.

Health Professionals Substance Abuse Education Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2005

Health Professionals Substance Abuse Education Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide support and continue grants to specified organizations to train health professionals to: (1) recognize substance abuse in their patients or patients' family members; (2) intervene, treat, or refer for treatment those individuals who are affected by substance abuse; (3) identify and assist children of substance abusing parents; (4) serve as advocates and resources for community-based substance abuse prevention programs; and (5) address the non-therapeutic use of prescription medications. Directs the Secretary to: (1) encourage community colleges and other academic institutes to offer academic credit for classes offered by the Addiction Technology Transfer Centers; (2) conduct a process and outcome evaluation of the programs and activities carried out under this Act; and (3) establish and administer a substance abuse faculty fellowship program. Requires the Secretary to establish centers of excellence at U.S. medical centers or universities to: (1) initiate, promote, and implement training, research, and clinical activities related to targeted issues or special areas of focus; and (2) provide opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration in curriculum development, course development, clinical practice, research and translation of research into practice, and policy analysis and formulation.

Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2005

Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish programs related to mental health services for children and adolescents to include: (1) entering into contracts with qualified individuals to pay educational loans in exchange for providing mental health services to children and adolescents; (2) awarding scholarships to students who agree to work as child and adolescent mental health service professionals after graduation or completion of residency; (3) entering into contracts with higher education institutions to establish or expand internship or other field placement programs for students receiving specialized training or clinical experience in child and adolescent mental health; (4) awarding grants to State-licensed mental heath organizations to pay for programs for preservice or in-service training of paraprofessional child and adolescent mental health workers; and (5) awarding grants to higher education institutions to establish or expand graduate child and adolescent mental health programs. Amends Title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to adjust the graduate medical education program to: (1) exclude a reasonable number of residents or fellows in child and adolescent psychiatry when calculating the maximum number of residents in the field of allopathic or osteopathic medicine for which the hospital may be paid; and (2) extend the period of board eligibility for residents and fellows in child and adolescent psychiatry. Directs the Administrator to study and report to Congress on the distribution of, and need for, child mental health service professionals.

National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for terms of 18 months to each approved State to establish or improve a State controlled substance monitoring program. Requires the Secretary to develop minimum standards for States to ensure security of information collected and to recommend penalties for the provision or use of information in violation of applicable laws or regulations. Requires each approved State to: (1) require dispensers to report to the State within one week of each dispensing of a controlled substance to an ultimate user; and (2) establish and maintain an electronic searchable database containing the information reported. Allows a State to provide information from the database in response to certain requests by practitioners, law enforcement, narcotics control, licensure, disciplinary, or program authorities, the controlled substance monitoring program of another State, and agents of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), State Medicaid programs, State health departments, or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Requires the Secretary to: (1) specify a uniform electronic format for the reporting, sharing, and provision of information under this Act; and (2) study and report to Congress on such programs, including on interoperability between programs, the feasibility of a real-time electronic controlled substance monitoring program, privacy protections, and technological alternatives to centralized data storage.

Public Health Preparedness Workforce Development Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

Public Health Preparedness Workforce Development Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Public Health Workforce Scholarship Program to assure an adequate supply of public health professionals to eliminate critical public health preparedness workforce shortages in Federal, State, local, and tribal public health agencies by offering four-year scholarships in return for employment at such agencies. Requires the Secretary to establish the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program to provide for the repayment of loans incurred by individuals in the pursuit of the relevant public health preparedness workforce educational degree or certificate in exchange for working at such agencies for at least three years. Requires the Secretary to award grants to public health agencies that receive public health preparedness cooperative agreements from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to operate State, local, and tribal public health workforce loan repayment programs. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in cooperation with the Secretary, to ensure that there is an online catalogue within the OPM website of public health workforce employment opportunities within the Federal Government.

Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a plan for the prevention, control, and management of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) implement programs to increase awareness of HCV; and (2) support activities to promote the early detection of HCV infection, identify risk factors for infection, and conduct surveillance of HCV infection trends. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to: (1) conduct epidemiologic research to identify best practices for HCV prevention; (2) establish a Hepatitis C Clinic Research Network to conduct research related to the treatment and medical management of HCV; and (3) conduct basic research to identify new approaches to prevent and treat HCV. Requires the Secretary to: (1) promote State, local, and tribal programs to provide referrals for medical evaluation and management to HCV-positive individuals; (2) examine whether the HCV programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should be part of the Federal plan; and (3) develop benchmarks for evaluating the programs and activities conducted under this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to States, political subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, or nonprofit entities to carry out activities under this Act. Requires the Director of NIH to establish a Liver Disease Research Advisory Board.

RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2005 - Deems the approved application for the drug mifepristone (marketed as Mifeprex, commonly known as RU-486, and used for the chemically induced termination of intrauterine pregnancy) to have been withdrawn. Deems the drug misoprostol as misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) if it bears labeling providing that the drug may be used for the medical termination of intrauterine pregnancy. Directs the Comptroller General to review and report on the process by which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone. Provides for the reinstatement of the approved application for such drug if the report determines the approval to have been in accordance with FFDCA.

Money Follows the Person Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

Money Follows the Person Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to states for demonstration projects (MFP demonstration projects) designed to: (1) increase the use of home and community-based, rather than institutional, long-term care services (rebalancing) under state Medicaid programs; (2) eliminate barriers or mechanisms that prevent or restrict the flexible use of Medicaid funds to enable Medicaid-eligible individuals to receive support for appropriate and necessary long-term care services in the settings of their choice; (3) increase the ability of state Medicaid programs to assure continued provision of home and community-based long term care services to eligible individuals who choose to transition from an institutional to a community setting; and (4) ensure that procedures are in place to provide quality assurance for eligible individuals receiving Medicaid home and community-based long-term care services and to provide for continuous quality improvement in such services.

Public Health Preparedness Workforce Development Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

Public Health Preparedness Workforce Development Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Public Health Workforce Scholarship Program to assure an adequate supply of public health professionals to eliminate critical public health preparedness workforce shortages in Federal, State, local, and tribal public health agencies by offering four-year scholarships in return for employment at such agencies. Requires the Secretary to establish the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program to provide for the repayment of loans incurred by individuals in the pursuit of the relevant public health preparedness workforce educational degree or certificate in exchange for working at such agencies for at least three years. Requires the Secretary to award grants to public health agencies that receive public health preparedness cooperative agreements from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to operate State, local, and tribal public health workforce loan repayment programs. Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in cooperation with the Secretary, to ensure that there is an online catalogue within the OPM website of public health workforce employment opportunities within the Federal Government.

National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award one-year grants to each approved State to establish or improve a State controlled substance monitoring program. Requires the Secretary to develop minimum standards for States to ensure security of information collected and to recommend penalties for the provision or use of information in violation of applicable laws or regulations. Requires each approved State to: (1) require dispensers to report to the State within one week of each dispensing of a controlled substance to an ultimate user or research subject; and (2) establish and maintain an electronic searchable database containing the information reported. Allows a State to provide information from the database in response to certain requests by practitioners, law enforcement, narcotics control, licensure, disciplinary, or program authorities, the controlled substance monitoring program of another State, and agents of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), State Medicaid programs, State health departments, or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Requires the Secretary to: (1) specify a uniform electronic format for the reporting, sharing, and provision of information under this Act; (2) give preference to approved States in awarding any grants related to drug abuse; and (3) study and report to Congress on such programs, including on interoperability between programs, the feasibility of a real-time electronic controlled substance monitoring program, privacy protections, and technological alternatives to centralized data storage.

JUBILEE Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

Justice and Understanding By International Loan Elimination and Equity Act of 2005 or JUBILEE Act of 2005 - Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to commence immediate efforts, within the Paris Club of Official Creditors, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), and other international financial institutions (multilateral development institutions (MDI's)) to accomplish: (1) the cancellation of all debts owed to each institution by specified eligible poor countries, and the financing of such debt cancellation from the institution's ongoing operations, procedures, and accounts; (2) the limitation of any waiting period before receipt of debt cancellation to one month from the date of an eligible poor country's application for it; and (3) encouragement of the government of each eligible poor country to allocate at least 20 percent of its national budget, including the savings from such debt cancellation, for the provision of basic health care services, education services, and clean water services to individuals in the country. Sets forth requirements for: (1) establishment of a framework to ensure transparency regarding each international financial institution's activities; and (2) availability on the Treasury Department's website of U.S. Executive Directors' remarks at meetings of international financial institutions' Boards of Directors. Requires the Secretary to commence immediate efforts, within the Paris Club, the IMF, and other appropriate MDI's, to ensure that the provision of debt cancellation to such countries is not conditioned on any agreement by such a country to implement or comply with specified policies that deepen poverty or degrade the environment.

Osteoporosis Education and Prevention Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

Osteoporosis Education and Prevention Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national campaign to increase awareness and knowledge with respect to osteoporosis. Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Assistant Secretary for Aging to make demonstration program grants to public and private nonprofit agencies, organizations, and institutions to provide information and outreach for the prevention of osteoporosis.

Liver Research Enhancement Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

Liver Research Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the National Center on Liver Disease Research in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to ensure the development of increased understanding of, and better treatments and cures for, liver diseases. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish the Liver Disease Research Advisory Board to: (1) advise and assist the Director of the Center concerning matters relating to liver disease research; and (2) develop the Liver Disease Research Action Plan to identify scientific opportunities and priorities of liver disease research. Requires the Director of each institute or center within NIH to allocate for liver disease research amounts necessary to: (1) fund existing scientific research opportunities; and (2) carry out the recommendations of the Plan.

Medicare Mental Health Copayment Equity Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

Medicare Mental Health Copayment Equity Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide, by a gradual increase in the percentage of expenses considered incurred expenses, for a gradual reduction (from 50% to the standard 20%) by 2011 of copayment rates for outpatient psychiatric services under the Medicare program.

Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish programs related to mental health services for children and adolescents, to include: (1) entering into contracts with qualified individuals to pay educational loans in exchange for providing mental health services to children and adolescents; (2) awarding scholarships to students who agree to work as child and adolescent mental health service professionals after graduation or completion of residency; (3) entering into contracts with higher education institutions to establish or expand internship or other field placement programs for students receiving specialized training or clinical experience in child and adolescent mental health; (4) awarding grants to State-licensed mental heath organizations to pay for programs for preservice or in-service training of paraprofessional child and adolescent mental health workers; and (5) awarding grants to higher education institutions to establish or expand graduate child and adolescent mental health programs. Amends Title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to adjust the graduate medical education program to: (1) exclude a reasonable number of residents or fellows in child and adolescent psychiatry when calculating the maximum number of residents in the field of allopathic or osteopathic medicine for which the hospital may be paid; and (2) extend the period of board eligibility for residents and fellows in child and adolescent psychiatry. Directs the Administrator to study and report to Congress on the distribution of, and need for, child mental health service professionals.

RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2005

RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2005 - Deems the approved application for the drug mifepristone (marketed as Mifeprex, commonly known as RU-486, and used for the chemically induced termination of intrauterine pregnancy) to have been withdrawn. Deems the drug misoprostol to be misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) if it bears labeling providing that the drug may be used for the medical termination of intrauterine pregnancy. Directs the Comptroller General to review and report on the process by which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone. Provides for the reinstatement of the approved application for such drug if the report determines the approval to have been in accordance with FFDCA.

PRESCRIPTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE: SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM

United States · United States House of Representatives · 2 March 2005

To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage under the Medicare and Medicaid Programs of incontinence undergarments.

United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2005

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage under Medicare and Medicaid of incontinence undergarments.

To extend the filing deadline for certain Medicare claims to account for a delay in processing adjustments from secondary payor status to primary payor status.

United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2005

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend for one year the filing deadline for Medicare claims for items and services furnished between January 1, 1987, and August 10, 1993, to account for a delay in processing adjustments from secondary to primary payor status.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding the right of citizens of the United States to health care of equal high quality.

United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2005

Constitutional Amendment - Declares that all persons shall enjoy the right to health care of equal high quality.

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period of eligibility for health care for combat service in the Persian Gulf War or future hostilities from two years to five years after discharge or release.

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005

Extends from two years to five years following discharge or release the eligibility period for veterans who served in combat during or after the Persian Gulf War to receive hospital care, medical services, or nursing home care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, notwithstanding a lack of evidence to conclude that their condition is attributable to such service.

Treatment of Children's Deformities Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005

Treatment of Children's Deformities Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan, and a health issuer offering group health insurance coverage, that cover surgical benefits to also cover outpatient and inpatient diagnosis and treatment of a child's congenital or developmental deformity, disease, or injury. Requires that such coverage: (1) be subject to pre-authorization or pre-certification requirements of the plan or issuer; and (2) include any surgical treatment deemed by the treating physician to be medically necessary to approximate a normal appearance. Defines "treatment" to include reconstructive surgical procedures that are performed on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease, including: (1) procedures that do not materially affect the function of the body part being treated; and (2) procedures for secondary conditions and follow-up treatment. Excludes cosmetic surgery performed to reshape normal structures of the body to improve appearance or self-esteem.

National Pain Care Policy Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005

National Pain Care Policy Act of 2005 - Directs the President to convene a White House Conference on Pain Care to identify barriers to appropriate pain care. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the National Center for Pain and Palliative Care Research. Establishes an advisory council for the Center. Requires the Director of NIH to establish at least six regional pain research centers. Requires the Director of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to develop and advance the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of pain and palliative care. Permits the Secretary to award grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to public and private entities to educate and train health care professionals in pain and palliative care. Directs the Secretary to implement a national campaign to inform the public on responsible pain management, related symptom management, and palliative care. Requires the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services to develop and implement a pain care palliative initiative in all health care facilities of the uniformed services. Amends Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (Medicare) to require Medicare Advantage organizations to meet certain pain care standards. Requires TRICARE (a Department of Defense managed health care program) to meet such pain care standards. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a pain care initiative in all health care facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005

Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense, no later than August 31, 2005, to complete development of a plan to provide chiropractic health care services and benefits, as a permanent part of the TRICARE program (a Department of Defense managed health care program), for covered beneficiaries. Requires plan implementation by January 31, 2006.

Critical Access to Clinical Lab Services Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2005

Critical Access to Clinical Lab Services Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide that clinical diagnostic laboratory services furnished by a critical access hospital shall be treated as being furnished as part of outpatient critical access services without regard to whether: (1) the individual for whom the services are furnished is physically present in the critical access hospital at the time the specimen is collected; (2) such individual is registered as an outpatient on the records of, and receives such services directly from, the critical access hospital; or (3) payment is available for such services under the fee schedule established for clinical diagnostic laboratory tests.

Mark O. Hatfield-Elizabeth Furse Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2005

Mark O. Hatfield-Elizabeth Furse Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Act of 2005 - Establishes as an independent entity of the executive branch the Mark O. Hatfield-Elizabeth Furse Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Foundation, to be located in Portland, Oregon. Requires the Foundation to: (1) develop resources to train Native American and Alaska Native tribal council members properly in self-government and related fields; (2) foster greater recognition and understanding of the role of tribal self-government in the development of the United States; (3) identify critical issues facing tribal governments in the Nation; (4) establish a program for tribal governance research at the Institute for Tribal Government at Portland State University; and (5) provide educational outreach regarding tribal self-government. Authorizes the Foundation to award scholarships, fellowships, internships, and grants to eligible individuals who meet the minimum criteria established by the Foundation for study in fields relating to tribal governance. Authorizes the Foundation to award scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students who intend to pursue careers relating to tribal goverance, and Native Americans and Alaska Natives intending to pursue careers in tribal public policy. Authorizes the Foundation to award fellowships to: (1) outstanding graduate students who intend to pursue advanced degrees in fields relating to tribal governance, and Native Americans and Alaska Natives intending to pursue advanced degrees in tribal public policy, law, or medicine; and (2) faculty from a variety of disciplines to bring their expertise to the Foundation. Authorizes the Foundation to award internships to deserving and qualified: (1) individuals to work in Federal, State, and local agencies or in offices of major tribal governance organizations; and (2) Native American and Alaska Native individuals to work in Federal, State, and local agencies or in offices of major public health or public policy organizations. Directs the Foundation to award grants to the Institute to: (1) provide for an annual panel of experts to discuss contemporary tribal governance issues; (2) conduct research in tribal governance policy and on Native American and Alaska Native tribal public policy issues; and (3) invite visiting policymakers to share practical experiences with the Foundation. Establishes in the Treasury the Mark O. Hatfield- Elizabeth Furse Scholarship and Excellence in Tribal Governance Trust Fund to be administered by the Foundation.

Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2005

Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo. Limits such research to stem cells that meet the following ethical requirements: (1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment; (2) the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and (3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements.

FACT Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2005

Fair Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2005 or the FACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and operate a data bank of information on clinical trials, to include: (1) a clinical trials registry of health-related interventions conducted to test the safety or effectiveness of any drug, biological product, or device intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases and conditions; and (2) a clinical trials results database of health-related interventions to test the safety or effectiveness of any drug, biological product, or device. Requires the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to make available to the public: (1) the full reviews conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of new or supplemental new drug applications; and (2) copies of written consultations on a drug's safety conducted by the Office of Drug Safety. Requires the Secretary to assess civil monetary penalties for failure to comply with the reporting requirements of this Act. Allows the Secretary to correct any information included in the registry or database that is factually and substantively inaccurate, false, or misleading. Extends requirements of this Act to clinical trials conducted outside of the United States under certain circumstances. Prohibits a responsible person or a manufacturer from performing any act that prohibits, limits, or imposes unreasonable delays on the ability of an individual to discuss or publish the results of a clinical trial. Requires the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine to study the extent to which data submitted to the registry has impacted the public health.

Allied Health Reinvestment Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2005

Allied Health Reinvestment Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop public service announcements to promote the allied health professions. Requires the Secretary to award grants to promote such professions by: (1) supporting relevant State and local campaigns; (2) increasing education opportunities; (3) carrying out programs to facilitate the entry of students into relevant careers; (4) expanding enrollment into such programs; (5) providing education through new technologies and methods; (6) enhancing the workforce through retention programs; (7) developing retention strategies; (8) expanding area health education centers to develop models of excellence for such professionals; and (9) developing clinical education, internship, and resident programs that encourage mentoring and the development of specialties. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to enter into agreements to establish faculty loan funds to increase the number of qualified allied health faculty. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide scholarships to individuals seeking allied health education who agree to provide service in rural and other medically underserved areas with personnel shortages; (2) develop a system for collecting and analyzing workforce data to determine education pipeline and practitioner shortages and to project future needs for such a workforce; and (3) include allied health schools among the schools eligible to receive grants to support Centers of Excellence in health professions education for underrepresented minority individuals. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct an evaluation of whether this Act has demonstrably increased the number of allied health education program applicants.

Strengthening America's Armed Forces and Military Family Bill of Rights Act

United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2005

Strengthening America's Armed Forces and Military Family Bill of Rights Act - Increases Army and Marine Corps end strengths for FY 2005 and thereafter. Makes members of the Selected Reserve and the Individual Ready Reserve eligible for either the Prime or Standard option of the TRICARE Program (a Department of Defense managed health care program), allowing for either self-coverage or self-and-family coverage. Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay the applicable premium to continue in force any qualified health plan coverage for a reserve member (and his or her dependents) while the member is serving on active duty pursuant to a call or order issued during a war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress. Requires the continuation of COBRA coverage during such period. National Reservist Enterprise Transition and Sustainability Act of 2005 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program to provide business planning assistance to small businesses owned and operated by members of the National Guard and Reserve. Authorizes SBA: (1) loans to new veteran entrepreneurs; and (2) grant assistance for military reservists' small businesses. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a reserve component employment credit equal to the sum of the employment credit with respect to all qualified employees of the taxpayer and the self-employment credit of a qualified self-employed taxpayer. Disallows the credit for failure to comply with reserve member employment or reemployment rights, or when a reserve member is called or ordered to active duty for training. Authorizes a taxpayer to designate overpayments of income tax for payment into the the American Military Family Relief Fund (established herein), to be used to make distributions to individuals and family of members who serve or have served in the Armed Forces for needs not met by other laws or programs. Authorizes penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans for individuals called or ordered to certain active duty. Increases the military death gratuity from $12,000 to $250,000. Continues for 365 (currently 180) days the basic allowance for housing for dependents of members who die while on active duty. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to employ at least one psychiatrist and a complimentary clinical team at each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center to provide post-traumatic stress disorder treatment for veterans of service in Afghanistan and Iraq and the War on Terrorism.

A REVIEW OF THE ADMINISTRATION'S FISCAL YEAR 2006 HEALTH CARE PRIORITIES

United States · United States House of Representatives · 17 February 2005

MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORM: STOPPING THE SKYROCKETING PRICE OF HEALTH CARE

United States · United States House of Representatives · 17 February 2005

Community-Based Health Care Retraining Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Community-Based Health Care Retraining Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require the Secretary of Labor to establish and carry out a health professions training demonstration project that awards grants to eligible entities to train certain unemployed workers from the manufacturing or service sector for employment as health care professionals in communities with manufacturing and service sector job loss, health professional shortages, or health services shortages, or those designated as a medically underserved community.

Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (1) to develop and implement a National Arthritis Action Plan; and (2) acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct, support, and promote the coordination of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases research. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) support arthritis-specific research projects at the Centers for Prevention Research by the CDC; (2) support State comprehensive arthritis control and prevention programs and public health surveillance, prevention, and control activities; and (3) assist in the implementation of a national strategy for arthritis control and prevention. Requires the Secretary to coordinate a national education and outreach program on arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Requires the Secretary to establish an Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee to: (1) improve coordination of Federal research activities related to arthritis and rheumatic diseases; and (2) convene a summit to provide a detailed overview of such current Federal research. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify juvenile arthritis research. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to support juvenile arthritis data collection. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to support the development of a National Juvenile Arthritis Patient Registry. Requires the Secretary to promote and support pediatric rheumatology training, including by allowing the Secretary to establish a loan repayment program. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the economic impact of arthritis in the workplace.

Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the outpatient therapy cap.

A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to include podiatrists as physicians for purposes of covering physicians services under the medicaid program.

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to include podiatrists as physicians in order to cover their services under the Medicaid program.

Medicare Prescription Drug Price Reduction Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Medicare Prescription Drug Price Reduction Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from: (1) interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors; and (2) requiring a particular formulary to institute a price structure for the reimbursement of covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs. Grants the Secretary instead, in order to ensure that each part D eligible individual who is enrolled under a prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan pays the lowest possible price, authority similar to that of other Federal entities that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered Medicare part D drugs, consistent with the requirements and in furtherance of the goals of providing quality care and containing costs under such part.

A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should prepare a comprehensive strategy for advancing and entering into international negotiations on a binding agreement that would swiftly reduce global mercury use and pollution to levels sufficient to protect public health and the environment.

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States should engage in international dialogue regarding mercury pollution, use, mining, and trade. Calls for the President to: (1) prepare a strategy to advance and enter into international negotiations on an agreement that addresses the reduction of the global use, trade, and releases of mercury; (2) enter into agreements to align global mercury production with reduced global demand and to minimize global mercury releases while negotiating such an agreement; (3) initiate and support a parallel international research effort to collect global data for a comprehensive inventory of mercury use, mining, trade, and releases and to develop less emitting technologies and technologies to reduce the need for, and use of, mercury in commerce; (4) review U.S. monitoring capabilities and data collection efforts for mercury use, trade, and releases; (5) work through existing international organizations to encourage the development of programs, standards, and trade agreements to reduce the use and trade of mercury, eliminate primary mercury mining, and reduce releases of mercury and other long-range transboundary air pollutants; and (6) present a plan to reduce global mercury exposure and pollution at the 23rd session of the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council in order to advance the goal of achieving a binding international agreement on mercury.

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to recognize the services of respiratory therapists under the plan of care for home health services.

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare recognition of the services of respiratory therapists that are furnished as part-time or intermittent nursing care or physical therapy services under a plan of care for home health services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on the impact of paying for the services of respiratory therapists as a separate benefit under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of Medicare, and as an explicit component of the several benefits under part A (Hospital Insurance) of Medicare.

Training and Research in Urology Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Training and Research in Urology Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to separate the research and training on urologic diseases from that of kidney and hematologic diseases. Replaces the Division Director for Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases with a Division Director for Urologic Diseases and a Division Director for Kidney and Hematologic Diseases. Requires the Director of the Institute to: (1) give particular attention to supporting research and training programs geared to the needs of urology residents and fellows; and (2) submit to Congress a national urologic research plan and review such plan every three years. Replaces the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Data System, the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, and the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Advisory Board with separate data systems, information clearinghouses, and advisory boards for kidney diseases and urologic diseases. Replaces the Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee and the Institute's advisory panel subcommittee on kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases with separate coordinating committees and subcommittees for: (1) kidney and hematologic diseases; and (2) urologic diseases. Requires at least 15 of the centers developed for research in kidney and urologic diseases under the Public Health Service Act to focus exclusively on urologic diseases. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a loan repayment program for urology research.

Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national education campaign to promote stroke prevention and increase the number of stroke patients who seek immediate treatment. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to maintain the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry and Clearinghouse by collecting specific data points and benchmarks for stroke care analysis and by compiling and disseminating information on State, local, and private care system achievements and problems. Defines "stroke" as an attack in which blood flow to the brain is interrupted or in which a blood vessel or aneurysm in the brain breaks or ruptures. Includes stroke and traumatic injury prevention, diagnosis, and treatment within the grant program for emergency medicine residency training. Authorizes the Secretary, through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to make grants to qualified entities for education programs for health care professionals in the use of diagnostic approaches, technologies, and therapies for stroke and traumatic injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Gives preference to qualified entities that will train professionals that serve areas with a significant incidence of stroke or traumatic injuries. Authorizes the Secretary, through the Director of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, to make up to seven grants to States and to consortia of public and private entities in any non-grantee State to conduct a five-year pilot project to improve stroke patient outcomes by coordinating health care through telehealth networks.

Women's Health Office Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Women's Health Office Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Social Security Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the establishment of separate Offices on Women's Health within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office of the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Office of the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Office of the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to carry out specified activities relating to the health of women. Directs the lead officers of each Office of Women's Health to establish goals, provide information, serve as a consultant, and establish a Coordinating Committee on Women's Health within their respective agencies. Requires the Director of the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to designate an official of the Office of Priority Populations to carry out similar responsibilities relating to women's health. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Office of Women's Health, to establish a National Women's Health Information Center to facilitate the exchange of information, access to such information, and the analysis of issues and problems relating to women's health. Transfers the functions of the Office on Women's Health of the Public Health Service to the Office of Women's Health within HHS.

Veterans Mental Health Services Enhancement Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Veterans Mental Health Services Enhancement Act of 2005 - Authorizes appropriations for the employment of additional psychiatrists and other mental health services specialists at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and outpatient facilities specializing in the diagnoses and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a nationwide outreach program at the community level for veterans who participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom who are or may be suffering from PTSD. Directs the Secretary of each military department to conduct a comprehensive review of the mental health care programs of the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of that Secretary to determine ways to improve the efficacy of such care. Requires the Secretary of each military department to take special care in providing for as seamless a transition as possible from Department of Defense health care services to Department of Veterans Affairs health care services with regard to members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to combat or are otherwise at risk for PTSD. Requires the Secretary of each military department and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) assess the adequacy of privacy and patient confidentiality standards and practices of their respective departments, particularly with regard to patients seeking treatment for PTSD; and (2) identify other factors that may deter members of the Armed Forces from seeking treatment for PTSD.

New Partnership for Haiti Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

New Partnership for Haiti Act of 2005 - Directs the President to work with the Government of Haiti and international organizations to establish a comprehensive and integrated strategy to combat infectious diseases in Haiti, including HIV/AIDS, and to establish a comprehensive health infrastructure in Haiti. Authorizes the President: (1) acting through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), to provide assistance to Haiti to develop its health sector, including by supporting infrastructure and education and prevention activities; and (2) acting through the Secretary of State and the Corps of Engineers, to provide assistance to develop Haiti's basic sanitation and transportation infrastructure. Directs the President to establish a program to recruit U.S. health care professionals and engineers to rebuild the health care and physical infrastructures of Haiti. Authorizes the President to provide financial incentives to encourage program participation. Conditions assistance upon a presidential submission to the appropriate congressional committees that Haiti has a democratically elected government.

Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem a banned mercury-containing vaccine to be adulterated. Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide that a vaccine is a banned mercury-containing vaccine if one dose of the vaccine contains 1 or more micrograms of mercury in any form. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to declare that an actual or potential bioterrorist incident or other public health emergency makes the administration of such vaccines advisable for a specified period. Requires the Secretary to prohibit the distribution of banned mercury-containing influenza vaccines that are approved as biological products to: (1) any child under the age of three years old (effective July 1, 2006); (2) pregnant women if the vaccine contains thimerosal (effective July 1, 2006); and (3) any child under the age of six (effective July 1, 2007). Requires the Secretary to revise the vaccine information included with mercury-containing vaccines to include: (1) a statement that indicates the presence of mercury in the vaccine; (2) information on the availability of any mercury-free or mercury-reduced alternative vaccine and instructions on how to obtain such an alternative vaccine; and (3) a recommendation against administration of any mercury-containing vaccine to a pregnant woman. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should disseminate, with any vaccine-related information, a recommendation against administration of any thimerosal-containing vaccine to a pregnant woman.

Medicare Prescription Drug Cost Containment Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Medicare Prescription Drug Cost Containment Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, on the same date on which the President submits a budget to Congress, to submit to Congress a determination as to whether there is projected to be excess general revenue Medicare prescription drug funding for the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted. States that, if there is an affirmative determination, it shall be treated as a Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) funding warning in the fiscal year during which the determination is submitted to Congress. Amends Federal money and finance law, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to direct the President to submit to Congress, within 15 days after the budget submission, proposed legislation to respond to such a Medicare part D funding warning. States that such requirement shall not apply if, during the year in which the warning is made, legislation is enacted which eliminates excess general revenue Medicare funding for the period beginning with the fiscal year for which the determination is made and ending on September 30, 2013. Expresses the sense of Congress that any such submitted legislation should be designed to eliminate excess general revenue Medicare funding for such period. Sets out the special procedures for House and Senate consideration of the President's legislative proposal in response to such a warning.

Bipartisan Commission on Medicaid Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Bipartisan Commission on Medicaid Act of 2005 - Establishes the Bipartisan Commission on Medicaid to review: (1) each of Medicaid's major functional responsibilities; (2) issues that either threaten or improve the long-term financial condition of Medicaid; (3) Federal and State policies for Medicaid and Medicare enrollment (including enrollment sites), income eligibility, outreach, and documentation; (4) the operation and effectiveness of Medicaid premium assistance programs; and (5) Medicaid payment policies.

Medicaid Community-Based Attendant Services and Support Act of 2005

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2005

Medicaid Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require State Medicaid plan coverage of community-based attendant services and supports for certain Medicaid-eligible individuals. Outlines requirements for: (1) an enhanced Federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for ongoing activities of early coverage States that enhance and promote the use of community-based attendant services and supports; and (2) increased Federal financial participation for certain expenditures incurred by the State for the provision of such services and supports. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) award grants to eligible States which have established a Consumer Task Force to assist the State in its development of real choice systems change initiatives; and (2) conduct a demonstration project for the purpose of evaluating service coordination and cost-sharing approaches with respect to the provision of community-based services and supports to non-elderly dually eligible individuals.