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Healthcare

Records whose title is actually about this topic. Use a country filter if the list is still too broad.

1,201 records in US in 2015

Records

Bill· HRH.R. 523 (114th)referred

Prescribe A Book Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2015

Prescribe A Book Act Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of Pediatric Early Literacy Programs, through which: health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer parents developmentally appropriate recommendations and strategies for doing so; health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and health care facilities create literacy-rich environments that include gently used books for waiting room use or volunteer readers to show parents the techniques of reading aloud to young children. Requires that the books provided to children under the programs be obtained at a discount.

Bill· HRH.R. 536 (114th)referred

Provider Tax Administrative Simplification Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2015

Provider Tax Administrative Simplification Act of 2015 Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to approve a waiver of the uniform tax requirement (whether or not the tax is broad based), regardless of whether the state concerned satisfies certain requirements, for any state with a provider tax that does not apply to continuing care retirement communities or life care communities that: (1) have no beds certified to provide medical assistance under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, or (2) do not provide services for which Medicaid payment may be made.

Bill· SS. 251 (114th)referred

Prescribe A Book Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2015

Prescribe A Book Act Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of Pediatric Early Literacy Programs, through which: health care providers encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer parents developmentally appropriate recommendations and strategies for doing so; health care providers give each visiting child between the ages of six months and five years a new, developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and keep; and health care facilities create literacy-rich environments that include gently used books for waiting room use or volunteer readers to show parents the techniques of reading aloud to young children. Requires that the books provided to children under the programs be obtained at a discount.

Bill· SS. 254 (114th)referred

Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2015

Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015 Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that: (1) impose fines on large employers (those with 50 or more full-time employees) who fail to offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential health insurance coverage, and (2) require large employers to file a report with the Department of the Treasury on health insurance coverage provided to their full-time employees. Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that: (1) limit the annual deductible on health plans offered in the small group market, (2) deem catastrophic plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements for certain individuals, and (3) impose an annual fee on health insurance entities. Deems high deductible health plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements if the enrollee has established a health savings account. Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal the limitation on premium rate variance by age in the individual or small group market. Repeals the prohibitions on payments for over-the-counter medications from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements. Repeals the $2,500 annual limit on employee contributions by salary reduction to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan. Allows a health plan to maintain its status as a grandfathered health plan regardless of any modification to cost-sharing, employer contribution rates, or covered benefits. Makes this allowance effective as if included in PPACA.

Bill· HRH.R. 531 (114th)referred

Accelerating Biomedical Research Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2015

Accelerating Biomedical Research Act This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require certain adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2016-FY2021 to accommodate increases in appropriations to the National Institutes of Health at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Law· SS. 246 (114th)enacted

Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act Establishes the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children in the Office of Tribal Justice of the Department of Justice. Requires the President and Congress to appoint to the Commission individuals who have significant experience and expertise in Indian affairs and matters to be studied by the Commission, including health care issues facing Native children, Indian education, juvenile justice programs, and social service programs used by Native children. Requires the Commission to establish a Native Advisory Committee consisting of representatives of Indian tribes from each region of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and a native Hawaiian. Requires members of the Committee to be experienced in matters to be studied by the Commission. Requires the Commission to conduct a comprehensive study of federal, state, local, and tribal programs that serve Native children, including an evaluation of: the impact of concurrent jurisdiction on child welfare systems; barriers Indian tribes and Native Hawaiians face in using public and private grant resources; obstacles to nongovernmental financial support for programs benefitting Native children; issues relating to the validity and statistical significance of data on Native children; barriers to the development of sustainable, multidisciplinary programs designed to assist high-risk Native children and their families; cultural or socioeconomic challenges in communities of Native children; examples of successful program models and use of best practices in programs that serve children and families; barriers to interagency coordination; and the use of memoranda of agreement or interagency agreements to facilitate or improve agency coordination. Directs the Commission to use the results of the study and analyses of existing federal data to: develop recommendations for goals, and plans for achieving them, for federal policy relating to Native children in the short-, mid-, and long-term informed by the development of accurate child well-being measures, except as specified; recommend modifications and improvements to programs that serve Native children (on the condition that such recommendations recognize the diversity in cultural values) that integrate the cultural strengths of Native communities and result in improvements to the child welfare system, the mental and physical health of Native children, educational and vocational opportunities, and tribal juvenile detention programs; recommend improvements to the collection of data regarding Native children and the programs that serve them; and identify models of successful federal, state, and tribal programs in the areas studied by the Commission. Prohibits the Commission, when developing recommendations and plans for federal policy on Native children, from considering or recommending recognition or establishment of a government-to-government relationship with: (1) any entity not recognized on or before the date of enactment of this Act by the Federal Government through an Act of Congress, Executive action, judicial decree, or any other action; or (2) any entity not included in the authorized list under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994. Requires the Commission to report to the President, Congress, and the White House Council on Native American Affairs on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for legislative and administrative action. Terminates the Commission 90 days after the report is submitted.

Bill· SS. 244 (114th)open

A bill to require an independent comprehensive review of the process by which the Department of Veterans Affairs assesses cognitive impairments that result from traumatic brain injury for purposes of awarding disability compensation, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to seek to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to conduct a comprehensive review of VA examinations that assess the cognitive impairments of individuals who submit claims for compensation for service-connected traumatic brain injury. Requires: (1) the Institute, in conducting the review, to convene a group of experts in clinical neuropsychology and other related disciplines; and (2) the review to include a determination of the adequacy of the VA's tools and protocols used in conducting such examinations and the credentials that are necessary for health care specialists and providers to perform the portions of such examinations that assess cognitive functions. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress any Institute recommendations for legislative or administrative action to improve the adjudication of claims. Requires Secretary to seek to enter an agreement with a similar nongovernmental, nonprofit organization to conduct such review if the Secretary is unable to enter into an acceptable agreement with the Institute.

Bill· SS. 242 (114th)open

Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015 Entitles any federal employee who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 30% or more, during the 12-month period beginning on the first day of employment, to up to 104 hours of leave, without loss or reduction in pay, for purposes of undergoing medical treatment for such disability for which sick leave could regularly be used. Requires the forfeiture of any such leave that is not used during such 12-month period. Requires such employee to submit to the head of the employing agency certification that such employee used such leave for purposes of being furnished treatment for such disability by a health care provider.

Bill· HRH.R. 471 (114th)referred

Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015 Amends the Controlled Substances Act to define: (1) "factors as may be relevant to and consistent with the public health and safety," for purposes of the Attorney General's determination of whether registering an applicant to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance in schedule I or II is in the public interest, as factors that are relevant to and consistent with the findings of such Act; and (2) "imminent danger to the public health or safety," for purposes of the suspension of such a registration, to mean that in the absence of an immediate suspension order, controlled substances will continue to be intentionally diverted outside of legitimate distribution channels or distributed or dispensed outside the usual course of professional practices or in a manner that poses a present or foreseeable risk of serious adverse health consequences or death. Requires an order to show cause as to why such a registration should not be denied, revoked, or suspended to: (1) contain a statement of the basis for the denial, revocation, or suspension, including specific citations to any laws or regulations alleged to be violated; (2) direct the applicant or registrant to appear before the Attorney General at a specific place and time within 30 days after receipt of the order; and (3) notify the applicant or registrant of the opportunity to submit a corrective action plan on or before such appearance. Requires the Attorney General, upon review of any such plan, to determine whether denial, revocation, or suspension proceedings should be discontinued or deferred for purposes of modifications to such plan. Makes such requirements inapplicable to the issuance of an immediate suspension order. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to submit a report identifying: (1) obstacles to legitimate patient access to controlled substances; (2) issues with diversion of controlled substances; and (3) how collaboration between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and the pharmaceutical industry can benefit patients and prevent diversion and abuse of controlled substances.

Bill· HRH.R. 520 (114th)referred

Student Job Protection Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Student Job Protection Act of 2015 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude students who are employed by an institution of higher education (IHE) and carrying what the school considers a full-time academic workload at the IHE from being counted as full-time employees in calculating the IHE's shared responsibility regarding health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Bill· HRH.R. 494 (114th)referred

Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2015 Amends the McCarran-Ferguson Act to declare that nothing in that Act modifies, impairs, or supersedes the operation of antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance, including the business of dental insurance. Applies prohibitions against using unfair methods of competition to the business of health insurance without regard to whether the business is for profit.

Bill· HRH.R. 502 (114th)referred

Veterans Health Administration Management Improvement Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Veterans Health Administration Management Improvement Act Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) conduct a five-year management review of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); and (2) submit annual reports to Congress on the matters reviewed, including recommendations for improving the VHA's management. Directs the VA Secretary to establish a five-year pilot program to improve the VHA's management and accountability that: gives VHA employees an opportunity to learn, implement, and identify successful means of advancing the VHA's management and the delivery of care and services; and improves the management and delivery of care and services at VA medical facilities by implementing the GAO's recommendations, and any other appropriate recommendations, regarding the VHA's planning and evaluation capabilities. Requires the Secretary, during such pilot program, to: (1) establish an annual performance plan that uses logic modeling and risk assessment to coordinate the VA's operations with its goals; and (2) prepare an annual organization evaluation plan for the VHA that is informed by the GAO's recommendations. Establishes a VA Office of the Management and Accountability Ombudsman to: assist the Secretary in conducting the pilot program; conduct inspections of VHA medical facilities, including non-VA facilities that provide VA contract care; and work with the Secretary and VHA employees in identifying and resolving problems with the VHA's management, administration, and delivery of care. Directs the GAO to review each budget the President submits to Congress during 2015-2020 to evaluate the proposed budget for VA health care. Establishes a Veterans' Bill of Rights regarding health care, which is to be prominently displayed in each VA medical facility and about which the Secretary shall conduct outreach to veterans and ensure that VA employees receive training.

Bill· HRH.R. 512 (114th)referred

DISARM Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Developing an Innovative Strategy for Antimicrobial Resistant Microorganisms Act of 2015 or the DISARM Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) recognize the costs of DISARM antimicrobial drugs under the Medicare payment system for the inpatient services of subsection (d) hospitals, (2) provide for additional payment with respect to discharges involving such drugs, (3) publish in the Federal Register a list of the DISARM antimicrobial drugs, and (4) make a proportional adjustment in standardized payment amounts to assure that the requirements of this Act do not result in aggregate payments greater or less than those that would otherwise be made for a fiscal year. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.) Defines a "DISARM antimicrobial drug" as one approved or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration on or after January 1, 2015, which, among other things, is intended to treat an infection: caused by, or likely to be caused by, a qualifying pathogen; associated with high rates of mortality or significant patient morbidity; and for which there is an unmet medical need. Requires that the mechanism established by the Secretary to recognize the costs of new medical services and technologies that are not DISARM antimicrobial drugs under the Medicare payment system is applicable to new medical services or technology if the service or technology is not a DISARM antimicrobial drug. Directs the Comptroller General to study the barriers that prevent the development of DISARM antimicrobial drugs and develop recommendations for actions to be taken in order to overcome those barriers.

Resolution· HRESH.Res. 47 (114th)referred

Supporting women's reproductive health care decisions.

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Expresses support for efforts to: ensure that women have access to the best available health care and information, including comprehensive, affordable insurance coverage and health care that fosters safe childbearing; ensure that women can make their own health care decisions; prohibit employers or government entities from interfering with reproductive health care services guaranteed by law; and guarantee the constitutionally protected right to safe, legal abortions.

Bill· HRH.R. 492 (114th)referred

Ultrasound Informed Consent Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Ultrasound Informed Consent Act Amends the Public Health Service Act to require abortion providers, before a woman gives informed consent to any part of an abortion, to perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman, provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting, display the ultrasound images so the woman may view them, and provide a complete medical description of the images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, cardiac activity if present and visible, and the presence of external members and internal organs if present and viewable. Prohibits construing this Act to require a woman to view the images or penalizing the provider or the woman if she declines to look at the images. Exempts an abortion provider if the abortion is necessary to save the life of a woman whose life is endangered by a physical condition. Requires the provider to include in the woman's medical file a certification of the specific medical circumstances that support this determination. Authorizes the Attorney General to commence a civil action in federal court against any abortion provider who knowingly violates this Act. Prescribes penalties. Directs the Attorney General to notify the appropriate state medical licensing authority of penalties assessed. Authorizes a woman upon whom an abortion has been performed in violation of this Act to commence a civil action against the provider for actual and punitive damages.

Bill· HRH.R. 489 (114th)referred

Taxpayer Conscience Protection Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Taxpayer Conscience Protection Act of 2015 Directs each state that makes a Medicaid payment from federal funds during the fiscal year for any items or services furnished by an abortion provider to: (1) report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) on all such payments, and (2) publish the report on a public Internet website of the state. Requires an annual report to specified congressional committees on such reports, which shall also be published on a public HHS website.

Resolution· SRESS.Res. 37 (114th)referred

A resolution supporting women's reproductive health care decisions.

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Expresses support for efforts to: ensure that women have access to the best available health care and information, including comprehensive, affordable insurance coverage and health care that fosters safe childbearing; ensure that women can make their own health care decisions; prohibit employers or government entities from interfering with reproductive health care services guaranteed by law; and guarantee the constitutionally protected right to safe, legal abortions.

Bill· HRH.R. 519 (114th)referred

Healthcare Tax Relief and Mandate Repeal Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 January 2015

Healthcare Tax Relief and Mandate Repeal Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the requirements added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that: (1)  individuals purchase and maintain minimum essential health care coverage, and (2) employers who have a workforce of 50 or more full-time employees provide health insurance coverage for their employees.

Bill· SS. 219 (114th)referred

Hyde Amendment Codification Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Hyde Amendment Codification Act This bill prohibits federal funds from being expended for abortion or health coverage that includes coverage of abortion. Abortions are eligible for federal funding only in cases of rape or incest, or where a physical condition endangers a woman's life unless an abortion is performed. Currently, federal funding of abortion and health coverage that includes abortion is prohibited, with the same exceptions.

Bill· SS. 207 (114th)referred

Veterans Access to Community Care Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Veterans Access to Community Care Act of 2015 Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use the Secretary's existing authority to furnish health care to veterans at non-VA facilities to provide health care at non-VA facilities to veterans who reside more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA medical facility providing the care they seek.

Bill· SS. 203 (114th)referred

American Liberty Restoration Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

American Liberty Restoration Act Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that require individuals to maintain minimum essential health care coverage. Applies the Internal Revenue Code as if such provisions had never been enacted.

Bill· SS. 222 (114th)referred

National Prostate Cancer Plan Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

National Prostate Cancer Plan Act Establishes in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the National Prostate Cancer Council on Screening, Early Detection, Assessment, and Monitoring of Prostate Cancer to: (1) develop and implement a strategic plan for the accelerated development of diagnostic tools for prostate cancer, (2) review the effectiveness of diagnostic tools for prostate cancer, (3) coordinate prostate cancer research and services across federal agencies, (4) evaluate all active federal prostate cancer programs, and (5) ensure the inclusion of men at high risk for prostate cancer in clinical, research, and service efforts. Directs the Council to submit annual reports. Requires the first report to include recommendations based on an evaluation of prostate cancer research and gaps in the development and validation of diagnostic tools for prostate cancer. Requires subsequent reports to include an outline for a national research plan, roles for specified agencies, an analysis of the disparities in the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in high-risk men, and a review of the progress towards the realization of the strategic plan. Terminates the Council on December 31, 2020.

Bill· SS. 218 (114th)referred

Veterans to Paramedics Transition Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Veterans to Paramedics Transition Act of 2015 Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise the grant program to improve emergency medical services in rural areas to include as a permissible use of grant funds the provision of coursework and training to enable veterans to satisfy emergency medical services personnel certification requirements. Requires such coursework and training to take into account previous medical coursework and training received by such veterans when they were on active duty in the Armed Forces.

Bill· SS. 221 (114th)referred

Pregnancy Assistance Fund Expansion Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Pregnancy Assistance Fund Expansion Act This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to authorize additional funding for FY2016-FY2019 for the Pregnancy Assistance Fund for grants to states to assist pregnant and parenting teens and women.

Bill· SS. 217 (114th)referred

Women's Health Protection Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Women's Health Protection Act of 2015 This bill prohibits any government from imposing on abortion services: a requirement that a medical professional perform specific tests or medical procedures; a requirement that the same clinician who performs a patient's abortion also perform additional tests, services or procedures; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to prescribe or dispense drugs or provide services via telemedicine; a requirement or limitation concerning the physical plant, equipment, staffing, or hospital transfer arrangements of facilities where abortions are performed, or the credentials, hospital privileges, or status of personnel at those facilities; a requirement that, prior to obtaining an abortion, a patient make medically unnecessary in-person visits to any individual or entity; a limitation on medical training for abortion procedures; a prohibition prior to fetal viability; a prohibition after fetal viability when continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the woman's life or health; a restriction on a woman's ability to obtain an immediate abortion when a delay would pose a risk to the woman's health; or a restriction on obtaining an abortion prior to fetal viability based on a woman's reasons or perceived reasons or that requires her to state her reasons before obtaining an abortion. A measure or action that is similar to a requirement or limitation listed above is prohibited if it singles out abortion services or makes abortion services more difficult to access and does not significantly advance women's health or the safety of abortion services.

Bill· SS. 202 (114th)referred

A bill to provide for a technical change to the Medicare long-term care hospital moratorium exception.

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

This bill amends the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, as amended by other specified federal law, with respect to the five-year moratorium begining April 1, 2014, on the establishment of long-term care (LTC) hospitals and LTC satellite facilities and on the increase of LTC hospital beds in existing LTC hospitals or satellite facilities for purposes of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. A technical correction is made to an exception to this moratorium for certain LTC hospitals that: began their qualifying period for Medicare payment on or before April 1, 2014; have a binding written agreement as of that date with an outside, unrelated party for the actual construction, renovation, lease, or demolition for an LTC hospital, and have expended, before that date, at least 10% of the project's estimated cost (or, if less, $ 2.5 million); or have obtained on or before that date an approved certificate of need in a state where one is required. This bill applies the exception to any similar moratorium.

Bill· SS. 205 (114th)referred

Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015 Requires the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to award one medical or nursing school a grant to develop best practices for health care professionals to recognize and respond appropriately to victims of severe forms of human trafficking. Requires the grantee to: (1) develop methods or materials to train health care professionals on best practices, (2) make a subgrant to one entity in each of the 10 administrative regions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a pilot program to test the best practices and training, and (3) analyze the results of the pilot programs and determine which best practices are evidence-based. Directs HHS to disseminate evidence-based best practices on their website and to health care profession schools.

Bill· SS. 220 (114th)referred

Health Care Provider and Hospital Conscience Protection Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Health Care Provider and Hospital Conscience Protection Act Prohibits the federal government and any state or local government that receives federal financial assistance from discriminating or retaliating against any individual or health care entity because of a refusal to recommend, refer for, provide coverage for, pay for, provide, perform, assist, or participate in any abortion. Includes within prohibited discrimination: (1) denial, deprivation, or disqualification in licensing; (2) withholding accreditations, authorizations, loans, grants, aids, assistance, benefits, or privileges; and (3) withholding authorization to expand, improve, finance, or create facilities or programs. Creates a cause of action for any violation of this Act. Gives federal courts jurisdiction to order any form of legal or equitable relief, including injunctive relief or an order preventing the disbursement of all or a portion of federal financial assistance to a state government until the prohibited conduct has ceased. Authorizes the Attorney General to file a civil action seeking injunctive or declaratory relief to enforce compliance with this Act. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate the HHS Office for Civil Rights to receive and investigate complaints alleging a violation of this Act. Requires this Act to be construed in favor of broad conscience protection for individuals and health care entities to the maximum extent permitted by the terms of this Act and the Constitution.

Bill· SS. 216 (114th)referred

National Prostate Cancer Plan Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

National Prostate Cancer Plan Act Establishes in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the National Prostate Cancer Council on Screening, Early Detection, Assessment, and Monitoring of Prostate Cancer to: (1) develop and implement a strategic plan for the accelerated development of diagnostic tools for prostate cancer, (2) review the effectiveness of diagnostic tools for prostate cancer, (3) coordinate prostate cancer research and services across federal agencies, (4) evaluate all active federal prostate cancer programs, and (5) ensure the inclusion of men at high risk for prostate cancer in clinical, research, and service efforts. Directs the Council to submit annual reports. Requires the first report to include recommendations based on an evaluation of prostate cancer research and gaps in the development and validation of diagnostic tools for prostate cancer. Requires subsequent reports to include an outline for a national research plan, roles for specified agencies, an analysis of the disparities in the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in high-risk men, and a review of the progress towards the realization of the strategic plan. Terminates the Council on December 31, 2020.

Bill· HRH.R. 441 (114th)referred

To provide for a technical change to the Medicare long-term care hospital moratorium exception.

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

This bill amends the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, as amended by other specified federal law, with respect to the five-year moratorium begining April 1, 2014, on the establishment of long-term care (LTC) hospitals and LTC satellite facilities and on the increase of LTC hospital beds in existing LTC hospitals or satellite facilities for purposes of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act. A technical correction is made to an exception to this moratorium for certain LTC hospitals that: began their qualifying period for Medicare payment on or before April 1, 2014; have a binding written agreement as of that date with an outside, unrelated party for the actual construction, renovation, lease, or demolition for an LTC hospital, and have expended, before that date, at least 10% of the project's estimated cost (or, if less, $ 2.5 million); or have obtained on or before that date an approved certificate of need in a state where one is required. This bill applies the exception to any similar moratorium.

Bill· HRH.R. 444 (114th)referred

Expanding Care for Veterans Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Expanding Care for Veterans Act Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a plan to expand the scope of VA's research and education on, and delivery and integration of, complementary and alternative medicine services. Requires the Secretary to carry out, through VA's Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, a three-year program to: (1) assess the feasibility and advisability of integrating the delivery of complementary and alternative medicine services selected by the Secretary with other VA health care services for veterans, and (2) identify and resolve barriers to providing such services and integrating them with other VA health services. Requires such program to be conducted, at not fewer than 15 VA medical centers, by integrating the provision of complementary and alternative medicine services with other VA health care services provided to veterans who have a mental health condition, experience chronic pain, or have a chronic condition. Requires veterans' participation to be voluntary. Directs the Secretary to contract with a qualified independent entity for comprehensive studies of the barriers encountered by veterans in receiving, and by administrators and clinicians in providing, complementary and alternative medicine services through VA. Provides for the conduct of such studies through surveys of veterans and VA administrators and clinicians. Requires the Secretary to carry out a three-year program awarding grants to public or private nonprofit entities to assess the feasibility and advisability of using wellness programs to complement the provision of mental health care to veterans and family members who are eligible for readjustment counseling from VA.

Bill· HRH.R. 440 (114th)referred

Helping Individuals Regain Employment Act

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Helping Individuals Regain Employment Act Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the definition of "full-time employee," for purposes of the employer mandate to provide minimum essential health care coverage, any individual who is a long-term unemployed individual. Defines "long-term unemployed individual" as an individual who begins employment after enactment of this Act and has been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer.

Bill· HRH.R. 453 (114th)referred

Healthy Relationships Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Healthy Relationships Act of 2015 This bill authorizes the Health Resources and Services Administration to award grants for qualified sexual risk avoidance education for youth and their parents. The unambiguous message that postponing sexual activity is the optimal sexual health behavior for youth must be the primary emphasis and context for each topic covered by the education. The education must be age appropriate, medically accurate, and evidence based. The education must address specified topics, including: the benefits associated with personal responsibility, success sequencing (sequential progression through: completing school, securing a job, and marrying before bearing children), goal setting, healthy decision making, and a focus on the future; the research-based advantage of reserving sexual activity for marriage; the skills needed to resist the pervasive, sex-saturated culture; the foundational components of healthy relationships; and how to avoid sexual coercion, dating violence, and risk behaviors, such as drugs, alcohol, and the misuse of social media. Priority in awarding grants must be given to programs serving youth in middle school and high school that will promote parent-child communication regarding healthy sexual decision making.

Bill· HRH.R. 448 (114th)referred

Women's Health Protection Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

Women's Health Protection Act of 2015 This bill prohibits any government from imposing on abortion services: a requirement that a medical professional perform specific tests or medical procedures; a requirement that the same clinician who performs a patient's abortion also perform additional tests, services or procedures; a limitation on an abortion provider's ability to prescribe or dispense drugs or provide services via telemedicine; a requirement or limitation concerning the physical plant, equipment, staffing, or hospital transfer arrangements of facilities where abortions are performed, or the credentials, hospital privileges, or status of personnel at those facilities; a requirement that, prior to obtaining an abortion, a patient make medically unnecessary in-person visits to any individual or entity; a limitation on medical training for abortion procedures; a prohibition prior to fetal viability; a prohibition after fetal viability when continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the woman's life or health; a restriction on a woman's ability to obtain an immediate abortion when a delay would pose a risk to the woman's health; or a restriction on obtaining an abortion prior to fetal viability based on a woman's reasons or perceived reasons or that requires her to state her reasons before obtaining an abortion. A measure or action that is similar to a requirement or limitation listed above is prohibited if it singles out abortion services or makes abortion services more difficult to access and does not significantly advance women's health or the safety of abortion services.

Bill· HRH.R. 7 (114th)referred

No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2015

No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015 This bill prohibits federal funds, including funds in the budget of the District of Columbia, from being expended for abortion or health coverage that includes coverage of abortion. Abortions are eligible for federal funding only in cases of rape or incest, or where a physical condition endangers a woman's life unless an abortion is performed. Currently, federal funding of abortion and health coverage that includes abortion is prohibited, with the same exceptions. Health care provided in a federal health care facility or by a federal employee may not include abortions that are ineligible for federal funding. This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to disallow premium assistance tax credits or health insurance tax credits for qualified health plans that cover abortions ineligible for federal funding. This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the Office of Personnel Management to ensure that multi-state qualified health plans offered on health insurance exchanges do not cover abortions ineligible for federal funding. A qualified health plan's coverage of abortion must be disclosed to enrollees at the time of enrollment and must be prominently displayed in marketing materials, comparison tools, or any summary of benefits and coverage made available by the plan issuer, a health insurance exchange, or the Department of Health and Human Services. The amount of a plan's premium that is attributable to coverage of abortions ineligible for federal funding must be disclosed in material where the premium is disclosed.

Law· SS. 192 (114th)enacted

Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2015

Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015 Reauthorizes the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) and funding for its programs for FY2016-FY2018. Requires the Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs (in the Administration on Aging [AOA] of the Department of Health and Human Services) to collect, analyze, and report on best practices related to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in long-term care facilities. Requires the Assistant Secretary for Aging of the AOA to focus: (1) on the health and economic needs and welfare of older individuals; and (2) ensure that authorized programs include appropriate training in the prevention of abuse, neglect, and exploitation and provision of services that address elder justice and the exploitation of older individuals. Reauthorizes appropriations for FY2016-FY2018, and revises requirements, for allotments to sates, the AOA, the Eldercare Locator Service, pension counseling and information programs, supportive services, congregate nutrition services, disease prevention and health promotion services, family caregiver support, the nutrition services incentive program, the Community Service Senior Opportunity Act, and grants for Native Americans. Revises requirements for the national family caregiver support program and the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, revising conflict-of-interest requirements and prohibitions for the latter. Requires health programs for older individuals to cover behavioral health. Directs the Assistant Secretary to issue guidance to applicable to states, area agencies on aging, and providers of services for older individuals, with respect to serving Holocaust survivors.

Bill· HRH.R. 421 (114th)open

Classified Veterans Access to Care Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2015

Classified Veterans Access to Care Act Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: establish standards and procedures to ensure that a veteran who participated in a classified mission or served in a sensitive unit while in the Armed Forces may access VA mental health care in a manner that fully accommodates the veteran's obligation to not improperly disclose classified information; disseminate guidance to employees of the Veterans Health Administration, including mental health professionals, on such standards and procedures and on how to best engage such veterans during the course of mental health treatment with respect to classified information; and ensure that an individual may elect to identify as such a veteran on an appropriate form.

Bill· HRH.R. 420 (114th)referred

Obamacare Opt-Out Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2015

Obamacare Opt-Out Act of 2015 Exempts from the minimum essential coverage requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act individuals who request an exemption through a health care marketplace or on their federal income tax return.

Bill· HRH.R. 406 (114th)referred

Combination Drug Development Incentive Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2015

Combination Drug Development Incentive Act of 2015 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide a five-year marketing exclusivity period to a new drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is a novel combination of active ingredients. The application for the combination drug must contain reports of new clinical investigations that are essential to approval and were conducted or sponsored by the applicant. Currently, a new drug that includes an active ingredient that has already been approved is provided a three-year marketing exclusivity period.

Bill· SS. 185 (114th)open

PATH Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2015

Promise for Antibiotics and Therapeutics for Health Act or the PATH Act Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish a program to approve as a limited population antibacterial drug an antibacterial drug intended to treat a serious medical condition and to address an unmet medical need within an identifiable limited population. Requires the FDA's determination of the safety and effectiveness of these drugs to reflect the drug's benefit-risk profile in the intended limited population. Prohibits the FDA from denying approval of a drug based on a lack of evidence of a favorable benefit-risk profile in a broader population. Directs the FDA to require: (1) the labeling of a limited population antibacterial drug to indicate that the drug has been approved for use only in a limited population, and (2) submission of promotional materials related to the drug prior to dissemination. Directs the FDA to describe considerations for demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of these antibacterial drugs and how the limited population pathway can be expanded to other therapeutic areas. Requires the FDA to conduct post-approval monitoring programs to study how these antibacterial drugs are used and to monitor changes in bacterial drug resistance. Allows the FDA to remove the labeling, marketing, and post-approval monitoring requirements of these drugs if they are approved for broader use. Allows the limited population pathway to be expanded to other drugs intended to treat serious illness beginning October 1, 2016.

Bill· HRH.R. 398 (114th)referred

Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2015

Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015 Requires the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to award one medical or nursing school a grant to develop best practices for health care professionals to recognize and respond appropriately to victims of severe forms of human trafficking. Requires the grantee to: (1) develop methods or materials to train health care professionals on best practices, (2) make a subgrant to one entity in each of the 10 administrative regions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a pilot program to test the best practices and training, and (3) analyze the results of the pilot programs and determine which best practices are evidence-based. Directs HHS to disseminate evidence-based best practices on their website and to health care profession schools.

Bill· HRH.R. 370 (114th)referred

To repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2015

Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective as of its enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act. Repeals the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the Act's enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by the Act's health care provisions.

Bill· HRH.R. 395 (114th)referred

Indian Health Service Advance Appropriations Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2015

Indian Health Service Advance Appropriations Act of 2015 This bill amends the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to authorize advance appropriations for the Indian Health Services and Indian Health Facilities accounts of the Indian Health Service. The advance appropriations provide new budget authority that first becomes available in the first fiscal year after the budget year. The bill requires the President's budget and the supporting documents submitted to Congress to include detailed estimates related to the advance appropriations.

Bill· HRH.R. 380 (114th)referred

Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2015

Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2015 Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish cost-effective procedures to ensure that: (1) a Social Security account number (or any derivative) is not displayed, coded, or embedded on the Medicare card issued to an individual entitled to benefits under part A (Hospital Insurance) of SSA title XVIII (Medicare) or enrolled under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance); and (2) any other identifier displayed on such card is not identifiable as a Social Security account number (or any derivative).

Bill· HRH.R. 379 (114th)referred

National Nurse Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2015

National Nurse Act of 2015 Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate the Chief Nurse Officer of the Public Health Service as the National Nurse for Public Health within the Office of the Surgeon General. Includes among the duties of this position: (1) providing leadership and coordination of Public Health Service nursing professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and other agencies of the Public Health Service, (2) conducting outreach and education, and (3) providing guidance and leadership for activities that will increase public safety and emergency preparedness. Requires the National Nurse for Public Health to: (1) participate in identification of national health priorities, (2) encourage volunteerism of nurses and strengthen the relationship between government agencies and health-related national organizations, and (3) promote the dissemination of evidence-based practice in educating the public on health promotion and disease prevention activities.

Bill· HRH.R. 371 (114th)referred

Care for All Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2015

Care for All Act of 2015 This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to allow catastrophic plans to be offered as qualified health plans to any individual in the individual or group market. (Qualified health plans are sold on health insurance exchanges, are eligible for premium subsidies, and fulfill an individual's requirement to maintain minimum essential coverage.) Currently, to be a qualified health plan, a catastrophic plan must enroll only individuals who are below age 30 and exempt from minimum essential coverage requirements.

Law· HRH.R. 313 (114th)enacted

Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015

Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015 Entitles any federal employee who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 30% or more, during the 12-month period beginning on the first day of employment, to up to 104 hours of leave, without loss or reduction in pay, for purposes of undergoing medical treatment for such disability for which sick leave could regularly be used. Requires the forfeiture of any such leave that is not used during such 12-month period. Requires such employee to submit to the head of the employing agency certification that such employee used such leave for purposes of being furnished treatment for such disability by a health care provider.

Bill· HRH.R. 293 (114th)referred

To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to exempt from manufacturer transparency reporting certain transfers used for educational purposes, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015

Amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act to exempt from manufacturer transparency reporting to the Secretary of Health and Human Services any transfer of value to a covered recipient of: (1) peer-reviewed journals, journal reprints, journal supplements, conference reports, and medical textbooks that directly benefit patients or are intended for patient use; and (2) anything of value to a physician if it is intended solely to provide continuing medical education.

Bill· HRH.R. 290 (114th)referred

Creating Access to Rehabilitation for Every Senior (CARES) Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015

Creating Access to Rehabilitation for Every Senior (CARES) Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to coverage of extended care services without regard to the three-day prior hospitalization requirement (non-post-hospital extended care services). Restricts such coverage to non-post-hospital extended care services in a qualified skilled nursing facility. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to study the cost of impact of this Act.

Bill· HRH.R. 289 (114th)referred

Better Efficiency and Administrative Simplification Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2015

Better Efficiency and Administrative Simplification Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow individuals the option to receive the Medicare Summary Notice (explanation of benefits) electronically. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) apply a similar option to other Medicare statements and notifications, and (2) provide such Medicare Summary Notice and any other such statements and notifications on a more frequent basis than is otherwise required under Medicare. Extends from at least once every 5 years to at least once every 10 years the application of competitive procedures when the contract of a Medicare administrative contractor comes up for renewal. Directs the Secretary, to the extent possible without compromising the process for entering into and renewing contracts with Medicare administrative contractors (MACs), to make available to the public the performance of each MAC with respect to requirements and measurement standards.

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