Records whose title is actually about this topic. Use a country filter if the list is still too broad.
Records
Bill· SS. 2718 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or STOP Underage Drinking Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking. Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to design, test, evaluate, and disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage drinking. Requires the Secretary to carry out activities toward the objectives of: (1) testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 for alcohol involvement; (2) obtaining new epidemiological data that identifies alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early adolescence; and (3) developing or identifying successful clinical treatment for youth with alcohol problems.
Bill· SS. 2749 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Children's Access to Vision Act of 2004 - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to make grants to States for: (1) comprehensive eye examinations for children needing such services, with priority for children under nine years old; (2) subsequent vision treatment or services; and (3) educational materials on recognizing signs of visual impairment in children. Directs the Secretary to coordinate the grant program with appropriate Federal and State child services programs. Requires an annual State program evaluation.
Bill· SS. 2739 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Investing in America's Future Act of 2004 - 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 the allied health professions, including by: (1) increasing education opportunities; (2) expanding enrollment into allied health programs; and (3) developing retention strategies. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to provide for 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 practitioner shortages and project future needs; 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. Directs the Comptroller General to establish a Health Workforce Advisory Commission to review the impact Federal workforce policies have on the health care system, analyze the implications of an internationally trained workforce, and make recommendations concerning health workforce policy issues. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a Rural States Physician Recruitment and Retention Demonstration Program for ameliorating physician shortage, recruitment, and retention problems in rural States; and (2) a State-specific health professions database to track the licensing and training of health professionals in each demonstration State.
Bill· SS. 2740 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Dental Health Provider Shortage 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, to award grants to: (1) health centers to increase the number of dental providers and to increase dental health care capabilities by constructing or renovating building space; and (2) eligible individuals in dental health professional shortage areas to increase dental health care capabilities by constructing or renovating building space in exchange for an agreement to practice for five years in such an area and to provide care for certain patients receiving assistance or unable to pay. Allows the Secretary to award grants to health centers to establish accredited dental residency training programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants to: (1) simplify and automate the procedures applicable to Medicaid providers to encourage providers to participate in the dental component of the program; and (2) develop, disseminate, and assist with the implementation of a model contract for States to use to enroll dentists as Medicaid providers. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator, to carry out a program to repay any outstanding student loans of full-time faculty members of a school of dentistry or an accredited dental education program. Allows the Director of the Indian Health Service to authorize a retention bonus for an eligible dental officer of the Indian Health Service. Sets forth provisions regarding dentists and dental hygienists in the National Health Service Corps.
Bill· SS. 2730 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Medicare, Medicaid, and MCH Tobacco Cessation Promotion Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of: (1) counseling for cessation of tobacco use; and (2) tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy. Provides for similar benefits under SSA titles V (Maternal and Child Health Services) and XIX (Medicaid).
Bill· SS. 2771 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Quality of Care for Individuals with Cancer Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for the development of core sets of quality of cancer care measures to be used in Federal programs. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to : (1) award grants to expand the ability of State cancer registries to monitor and evaluate the quality of cancer care; (2) establish the Cancer Surveillance System to monitor State cancer registries; and (2) provide for the development, expansion, and evaluation of such registries. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to: (1) conduct and support research pertaining to the quality of cancer care; and (2) award grants to develop or adopt model systems of cancer care. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to establish a National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program to improve the quality of cancer care. Requires the Secretary to award grants regarding quality of cancer care, including grants to develop: (1) cancer case management programs; (2) model programs for the delivery of palliative care; (3) programs for cancer survivorship; (4) end-of-life programs; and (5) curricula for health care provider training. Requires the Director of the National Cancer Institute to: (1) establish and support programs to assure an adequate and diverse cancer care workforce; and (2) support multidisciplinary, translational cancer research. Sets forth conditions for the waiver of certain requirements for making grants to States for breast cancer and cervical cancer programs. Requires the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to evaluate State and Federal comprehensive cancer control programs and the quality of care received by Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
Bill· SS. 2766 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Prescription Drug and Health Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, with respect to prescription drug plans, to repeal the prohibition against interference by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors, and against the Secretary's requiring a particular formulary or instituting a price structure for the reimbursement of covered part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs. Grants the Secretary authority similar to that of other Federal entities that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs. Directs the HHS Secretary report regularly to Congress a comparison of the prices for covered part D drugs with the average price a retail pharmacy would charge an individual who does not have health insurance coverage for purchasing the same strength, quanity, and dosage form of such drugs. Amends SSA title XVIII to eliminate the initial standard prescription drug coverage limit of $2,250 (adjusted for inflation). Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the HHS Secretary to make grants available to States to establish reporting systems designed according to guidelines developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to reduce medical errors and improve health care quality. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency, to establish a program funding at least 15 demonstration projects to determine the causes of medical errors and develop specified methods to reduce them. Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide for establishment of a national database of medical errors; (2) educate patients and family members about their role in reducing medical errors; (3) develop programs that encourage patients to take a more active role in their medical treatment; and (4) make grants to health professional associations and other organizations to provide training in ways to reduce medical errors. Establishes in the Treasury a Trust Fund for Medical Treatment Outcomes research. Directs the HHS Secretary to: (1) provide grants and contracts to enhance development of information technology standards by the private sector; and (2) establish programs of medical student tutorial program grants and of general medical practice grants. Increases the Medicare reimbursement for physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists. Requires Medicaid coverage of such health professionals as well as certified registered nurse anesthetists.
Bill· SS. 2725 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Closing the Coverage Gap Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to eliminate: (1) the initial standard prescription drug coverage limit of $2,250 (adjusted for inflation); and (2) the MedicareAdvantage regional plan stabilization fund. Repeals the Premium Support Demonstration Program. Eliminates Health Savings Accounts under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 418 (108th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Designates the month of September 2004 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that the Federal Government has a responsibility to: (1) raise awareness about the importance of screening methods and treatment of prostate cancer; (2) increase research funding that is commensurate with the burden of the disease so that the causes of, and improved screening, treatments, and a cure for, prostate cancer may be discovered; and (3) continue to consider ways for improving access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer. Requests the President to call upon Americans, interested groups, and affected persons to promote awareness of prostate cancer, to take an active role in ending the devastating effects of prostate cancer on individuals, their families, and the economy, and to observe the month of September 2004 with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
Bill· HRH.R. 4902 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Medicare Rural Home Health Services Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to provide for a two-year extension of the temporary Medicare payment increase for home health services furnished in a rural area.
Bill· HRH.R. 4978 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Prescription Plan Preservation Act of 2004 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to condition the payment of Medicare employer prescription drug subsidies on the maintence of current prescription drug benefits. Requires the actuarial value of prescription drug coverage to be at least equal to the greater of actuarial value of: (1) standard prescription drug coverage (as under current law); or (2) the employment-based retiree health coverage in effect as of December 8, 2003.
Bill· HRH.R. 4964 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
American Health Benefits Program Act of 2004 - Amends the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code to establish an American Health Benefits Program to provide comprehensive health insurance coverage to all Americans (and permanent resident aliens) who are not covered under certain Federal health insurance programs. States that the coverage is provided in a manner similar to the manner in which coverage has been provided to Members of Congress and Federal Government. Allows for premium and cost-sharing subsidies for lower income individuals. Allows for certain tax credits with respect to the amount of premiums paid, and imposes an excise tax on employers to finance this new benefit. Directs the Comptroller General to provide for certain studies concerned with the integration of this new program with other public health insurance coverage and with the growth of prescription drug costs.
Bill· HRH.R. 4898 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Medicare Preventive Services Coverage Act of 2004 - Amends part E (Miscellaneous) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, to provide for additional preventive services (including mental health services) under Medicare. Eliminates coinsurance in outpatient department (OPD) hospital settings and application of deductible with respect to additional preventive services.
Bill· HRH.R. 4919 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Medicare Drug Card Guaranteed Savings Act - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for the offering of a Federal national prescription drug discount card program. Charges a $30 fee for the card under the program. Provides for direct negotiations by the Secretary of Health and Human Services with prescription drug manufacturers to obtain discount prices that are to be less than prices otherwise available in the retail market. Provides that: (1) for periods beginning with January 1, 2005, the only discount card program in which an individual may be enrolled shall be the Federal national prescription drug discount card program; and (2) individuals enrolled in another program as of December 31, 2004, who do not affirmatively disenroll from all discount card programs are deemed to be enrolled in such Federal national prescription drug discount card program.
Bill· HRH.R. 5000 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Radioprotectant Procurement Act of 2004 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Defense to utilize and expend funds necessary for rapidly developing, bringing to market, and procuring whole-body radioprotectants. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security: (1) to report to Congress on the threat of a nuclear or radiological attack against the United States and the availability of effective radioprotectant medical countermeasures; and (2) upon determining that an effective radioprotectant is available or may become available within a reasonable time, to enter into agreements with private companies for the procurement of enough effective, safe, stable, and low-cost radioprotectants to protect the people of the United States, including in a multi-location attack scenario.
Bill· HRH.R. 4992 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Ensuring Access to Emergency Rooms Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to deem hospitals, emergency rooms, physicians, and physicians groups that provide emergency care to uninsured individuals employees of the Public Health Service for purposes of any civil action that may arise due to items and services furnished and post-stabilization services provided to such individuals. Requires the Attorney General to make separate estimates as to the cost of claims expected to arise under this Act and to establish separate funds for such claims. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to limit the total amount of payments under this Act to the amounts appropriated in advance for such purposes.
Bill· HRH.R. 4993 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Emergency Care Liability Relief Act - Limits noneconomic and punitive damages for injuries arising from the provision of uncompensated care by emergency care providers. Authorizes the award of attorney's fees and costs in actions in which a party's liability or such damages are contested. Requires liability for such awards to be allocated to the nonprevailing party personally, the attorney or law firm representing such party if representation was on a contingent fee basis, or both, taking into account specified factors. Requires the court, in actions in which liability or noneconomic or punitive damages described in this Act are contested, to instruct the jury that it must take into account the effect of the amount to be awarded in damages on the price and availability of health care liability insurance.
Bill· HRH.R. 4979 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Women's Pelvic Floor Health Education and Awareness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to educate health professionals and the public on bladder and bowel dysfunction (including incontinence), pelvic organ prolapse, and other pelvic floor disorders. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Director should establish a national registry for surgical treatment of such disorders. Requires the Directors of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to: (1) expand and intensify the activities of such Institutes with respect to women's pelvic floor disorders, including developing proposals for research on such disorders; and (2) provide for the continuing operation of the Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network and the Clinical Trials Network for Female Pelvic Disorders. Commends such Institutes for their support of such Networks and such Networks for their research toward improving women's pelvic health. Expresses the sense of Congress as to efforts that such Institutes should undertake, including increasing their research, recruiting established scientists, and developing a national data registry and tissue bank of people suffering from incontinence.
Bill· HRH.R. 4974 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Post 9/11 Health Protection Act of 2004 - Establishes in the Treasury the September 11 Emergency Personnel Trust Fund. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase by one percent the tax imposed on adjusted gross income that exceeds $1,000,000 for married individuals filing jointly or that exceeds $500,000 in any other case. Appropriates amounts equal to the taxes received because of such increase to the Fund. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to award from such Fund grants or cooperative agreements to specified programs, including one established by the New York City Fire Department, to carry out screening and clinical examinations and long-term health monitoring for covered individuals, including emergency service personnel, clean up workers, and residents affected by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, in New York City. Limits such monitoring to 20 years and 40,000 individuals. Allows the Secretary to establish a similar program for those affected by the September 11, 2001, Pentagon attack. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health to conduct or support diagnostic or treatment research for certain adverse health conditions considered to be associated with the terrorist attacks.
Bill· HRH.R. 4923 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Safe Importation of Medical Products and Other Rx Therapies Act of 2004 or Safe IMPORT Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow individuals to import Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription drugs from Canada for personal use. Permits the importation of prescription drugs from Canada by registered Internet pharmacies, pharmacies, or wholesalers in one year under specified conditions, including meeting proper labeling on all dispensed drugs to indicate that the drug has been imported. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate additional countries from which to allow importation in three years. Requires the Secretary to give high priority to improving the information management systems of the FDA to improve the detection of intentionally adulterated prescription drugs. Sets forth Internet pharmacy licensing requirements and procedures. Makes providers of interactive computer and advertising services liable for violations under this Act if such providers accept advertising: (1) for a prescription drug from an unlicensed Internet pharmacy; or (2) stating that an individual does not need a prescription to obtain a prescription drug. Requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations requiring designated payment systems, including credit card companies, to prevent sales by unlicensed Internet pharmacies. Allows the FDA to detain or temporarily hold prescription drug shipments based on credible information that a drug presents a risk to the public health. Allows the Secretary to: (1) suspend or debar importation of a particular drug or dosage that poses such a risk or by a particular importer who violates Act requirements; (2) require owners of prescription drugs that have been refused admission into the United States to indicate that information on the drug containers; and (3) authorize other Federal and State officials to conduct inspections to enforce compliance with this Act Deems to be misbranded a prescription drug offered for importation that has previously been refused admission, unless the person reoffering the drug affirmatively establishes that it complies with applicable requirements. Sets forth anti-counterfeiting provisions.
Bill· HRH.R. 4967 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Nursing Home Fire Safety Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require automatic fire sprinkler systems in all Medicare and Medicaid funded nursing facilities and provide for reimbursement of the additional costs incurred with respect to installing such systems.
Bill· HRH.R. 4903 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Accountability Act of 2004 - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) require the contract with a Medicare Advantage (MA) organization to provide for a minimum loss ratio and a maximum administrative cost ratio both to be established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS); and (2) provide for the audit of administrative costs and compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Applies all the requirements of this Act, with appropriate adaptations, to contracts with prescription drug sponsors and prescription drug plans under part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of SSA title XVIII. Amends part C of SSA title XVIII to require each MA organization to provide annually to the Secretary information on each MA plan it offers to establish financial transparency, including a functional listing of the organization's administrative costs, profits, and investment income. Provides that an election to enroll with an MA plan shall not be effective unless the election form is signed by the individual and specifically acknowledges: (1) that premiums, cost sharing requirements, and benefits under the plan may change at the beginning of each 12-month contract period; (2) the individual may lose coverage of the individual's physician or other provider at the beginning of each such period; (3) the plan may be terminated at the beginning of any such period; and (4) premiums and benefits under the plan may vary based on the county or other MA area in which the plan is offered. Directs the Secretary to transmit to Congress annual Medicare Advantage accountability and prescription drug reports that include, among other things, a detailed analysis of geographic variation in cost-sharing and premiums. Requires the HHS Inspector General to audit periodically a representative sample of determinations made by the Secretary regarding MA plans that provide for an actuarially equivalent level of benefits to ensure that the Secretary is only approving plans with benefits that are actuarially equivalent. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress a comparison of the average benefit payments, administrative costs, profits, and investment income for MA plans with corresponding aspects of the fee-for-service programs under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) and B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) and for group and individual Medicare supplemental policies.
Bill· HRH.R. 4910 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Social Security COLA Protection Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to limit increases in the monthly Medicare premium, including the Medicare Advantage prescription drug program premium, to 25 percent of any Social Security cost of living increase.
Bill· HRH.R. 4927 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
ESRD Modernization Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to provide for an annual update mechanism under the Medicare end stage renal disease (ESRD) program to adjust the payment rates for changes in input prices and inflation. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish demonstration projects to: (1) increase public awareness about the factors that lead to chronic kidney disease, and how to prevent and treat it; and (2) enhance chronic kidney disease surveillance systems and research. Requires the Secretary to establish demonstration projects to enable individuals with ESRD to develop self-management skills. Provides for Medicare coverage of kidney disease patient education services. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish demonstration projects to evaluate how blood flow monitoring affects care for Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD; (2) provide appropriate incentives to improve the home dialysis benefit; (3) arrange with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the barriers to increasing the number of individuals with ESRD who elect to receive home dialysis services under Medicare; (4) cover surgical procedures the full range of dialysis access procedures for Medicare-entitled individuals with ESRD; and (5) establish demonstration projects evaluating methods that improve the quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the impact of the temporary codes for nephrologists' services applicable under the fee schedule for physicians' services.
Bill· HRH.R. 4899 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Sustainable Drug Pricing Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into agreements with the manufacturers of brand name prescription drugs for four-year terms to establish a maximum wholesale price for such drugs. Defines brand name prescription drugs as FDA-approved prescription drugs with market exclusivity. Requires such agreements to specify a liquidated penalty that is sufficient to deter violations for failure to maintain substantial compliance. Allows the Secretary to notify the Secretary of the Treasury that there is no longer an effective agreement in place if such a penalty is not paid. Requires the Secretary to monitor prices to ensure compliance. Allows the Secretary to require manufacturers entering into such agreements to cooperate with such monitoring and to allow the Secretary access to relevant financial records. Requires the Secretary to establish the Advisory Panel on Drug-Price Negotiations to advise the Secretary on establishing prices. Requires the Panel to provide the Secretary with recommended drug prices for 25 drugs that the Panel considers important to the public health and for an additional 25 drugs that are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to disallow: (1) a deduction for advertising, promotion, or marketing of brand name prescription drugs without a qualified pricing agreement in effect for the entire taxable year; and (2) a foreign tax credit for such drugs manufactured by the taxpayer without a qualified pricing agreement in effect for the entire taxable year.
Bill· HRH.R. 4961 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Medicaid Act of 2004 - Amends the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 to extend the temporary freeze of the Federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) for certain States (continuing the FY 2003 FMAP through each calendar quarter of FY 2004, and the FY 2004 FMAP for each calendar quarter of FY 2005 if the FY 2005 FMAP would otherwise be less than the FY 2004 FMAP). Amends the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 to increase the FMAP: (1) by 2.95 percentage points for the last two calendar quarters of FY 2003 and the first three calendar quarters of FY 2004; and (2) by 1.60 percentage points for the last calendar quarter of FY 2004 and each calendar quarter of FY 2005. Increases by 5.9 percent the ceiling on Medicaid payments to specified territories for the last two calendar quarters of FY 2003 and the first three calendar quarters of FY 2004. Increases such ceiling by 2.52 percent for the last calendar quarter of FY 2004 and each calendar quarter of FY 2005. .
Bill· HRH.R. 4936 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Children's Health Protection and Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to revise the extended availability through FY 2004 of SCHIP allotments for FY 1998 through 2001. Specifies formulae for amounts to be used in computing redistributions for FY 2003, 2003, and 2004. Provides for reallocation of 70 percent of the expiring FY 1998, 1999, and 2000 funds to States that have fully expended their annual allotments. Extends the availability of the remaining 30 percent of such expiring funds with the States that currently have them. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2002 SCHIP allotments to remain available through FY 2006. Permits 50 percent of the total amount of a State's unexpended FY 2003 and 2004 SCHIP allotments to remain available through the end of FY 2007. Requires redistribution of the other 50 percent of such funds to States that have fully spent their allotments during the three-year period they were available. Requires a second redistribution according to the same 70-30 formula of any retained or redistributed funds still unexpended at the end of the two-year extention or redistribution. Provides for continued authority for qualifying States to use certain funds for Medicaid expenditures.
Bill· HRH.R. 4935 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Medicaid and CHIP Safety Net Preservation Act of 2004 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) conduct research and demonstration projects under several programs, including Medicaid and SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance) under SSA title XXI; and (2) waive certain statutory requirements for conducting these projects without congressional review. Prohibits the Secretary from imposing or approving under such authority: (1) a cap, limitation, or other restriction on payment to a State for amounts expended as medical assistance under the Medicaid program; (2) an elimination of, or modification limiting, the entitlement of an individual to receive any medical assistance for which Federal financial participation is claimed under Medicaid; (3) an elimination or modification of the amount, duration, or scope of early and periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services; or (4) an elimination or modification of the amount, duration, or scope of certain safety-net services, including those of a rural health clinic and a federally-qualified health center. Amends SSA title XI to establish public notice and comment requirements for States and the Secretary with respect to any State proposal for an experimental, pilot, or demonstration project (or project modification) to assist in promoting Medicaid or SCHIP objectives that would result in a substantive change in eligibility, enrollment, benefits, financing, or cost-sharing under a State program.
Bill· HRH.R. 4905 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2004
Healthy Start Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider certain criteria in making grants under the Healthy Start Initiative, including: (1) factors that contribute to infant mortality, such as low birthweight; and (2) the extent to which applicants for grants facilitate a community-based approach to the delivery of services and a comprehensive approach to women's health care to improve perinatal outcomes. Eliminates authority for the Secretary to make additional grants to: (1) assist communities with technical assistance, replication of successful projects, and State policy formation to reduce infant and maternal mortality and morbidity; and (2) conduct and support research and to provide additional health care services for pregnant woman and infants.
Bill· SS. 2714 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Medicare Prescription Drug Price Reduction Act of 2004 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title IV of the Social Security Act to give the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority to negotiate prices in contracts with manufacturers of covered Medicare part D drugs.
Bill· SS. 2704 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to grant States the option of covering certain categories of eligible women and child resident aliens under the Medicaid and SCHIP programs. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to provide for an extension of conveyance and passenger customs user fees.
Bill· SS. 2713 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Amends the Public Health Service Act to adjust the minimum State allotments for Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness programs to be the greater of the amount otherwise received by the State for FY 2004 or $600,000. (Current law sets forth a minimum allotment of $300,000 per State.) Provides that if the funds appropriated are insufficient for all States to receive the minimum allotment, then States shall receive no less than the amount they received in FY 2004 with additional money spent to give States the minimum of $600,000.
Bill· SS. 2710 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
National Health Information Technology Adoption Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of Health Information Technology to: (1) improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery through the use of health information technology; (2) provide national leadership relating to such technology; (3) direct all health information technology activities within the Department of Health and Human Services and coordinate such efforts across the Federal Government; and (4) facilitate the interaction between the Government and the private sector relating to the development and use of such technology. Requires the Director of the Office to provide for the adoption, dissemination, and updating of health information technology standards that promote the efficient exchange of data between varieties of provider health information technology systems. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from purchasing any health care information technology system that is not in compliance with such standards. Requires the Director to guarantee payment of the principal and interest on loans made to eligible entities and award competitive matching grants to: (1) implement local health information infrastructure to facilitate the development of interoperability across health care settings; or (2) facilitate the purchase and adoption of health information technology. Requires the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish uniform health care quality measures and public reporting requirements across all federally supported health delivery programs. Sets forth time lines for the development of such measures. Requires the Secretary to provide for the collection of demographic data across Federal programs.
Bill· SS. 2707 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
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.
Bill· HRH.R. 4888 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or STOP Underage Drinking Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking. Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to design, test, evaluate, and disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage drinking. Requires the Secretary to carry out activities toward the objectives of: (1) testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 for alcohol involvement; (2) obtaining new epidemiological data that identifies alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early adolescence; and (3) developing or identifying successful clinical treatment for youth with alcohol problems.
Bill· HRH.R. 4880 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Josie King Act of 2004 or Quality, Efficiency, Standards, and Technology for Health Care Transformation Act of 2004 - Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) to award grants and offer loans to health information infrastructure organizations and States to develop, implement, and maintain health information exchanges. Requires the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Defense, and Veteran Affairs to: (1) adopt data standards for the interoperability of health information technology systems; and (2) incorporate measures of health care practitioner performance into their health care programs. Requires the Secretary to establish a methodology for adjusting Medicare payments for providers who participate in a health information exchange or use other such technology. Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Resources and Quality to enter into an agreement with the Institute of Medicine to establish the Consortium for Health Outcomes Research Priorities to: (1) establish priorities for research relating to the effectiveness and efficiency of health care; and (2) identify priorities for developing standardized measures of health care provider performance. Allows the Director to award grants for scholarships to health care professionals to earn advanced degrees in the field of health care quality and patient safety. Requires the Secretary to establish a claims-based and a clinical-based practitioner performance database. Allows group health plans to submit data to the claims-based database in exchange for Medicare claims data. Requires such contributions to the database after 4 years. Allows health care practitioners to submit data to the clinical-based database. Allows the Secretary to provide for Medicare payment adjustments based on performance measurements of physicians and institutions.
Bill· HRH.R. 4886 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2004
Health Credits Act of 2004 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for up to $3,000 of the cost of health insurance for a taxpayer and the taxpayer's spouse and dependents ($1,000 for individuals). Phases out the credit for individual taxpayers with modified adjusted gross incomes in excess of $15,000 ($25,000 for taxpayers with family coverage). Disqualifies taxpayers who participate in an employer-subsidized health plan, who qualify for certain Federal benefit programs or medical savings account tax deductions, who are incarcerated, or who are not present in the United States for at least 183 days during the year. Permits participation in individual or group health plans, health care coverage purchasing pools, high risk pools, or State buy-in programs. Requires plans to offer annual and lifetime maximum benefits of at least $700,000 and limits deductibles to $5,000 for self-only coverage and $10,000 for family coverage. Requires informational returns from providers of health insurance who receive payments from individuals receiving a tax credit under this Act. Imposes criminal penalties on any individual who knowingly misuses Department of the Treasury identifiers to convey the false impression of association with, or approval or endorsement by, the Department of the Treasury of any insurance products or group health coverage in connection with the tax credit for health insurance provided by this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a program for making advance payments of credit amounts to providers of qualified health insurance for individuals receiving a tax credit under this Act.
Bill· SS. 2694 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Medicare Assurance of Rx Transitional Assistance Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for the automatic enrollment of Medicare Savings Program (MSP) beneficiaries under SSA title XIX (Medicaid) in the interim prescription drug discount program and the transitional assistance program, making them eligible for the $600 per year in low-income discount card assistance without requiring a separate enrollment process.
Bill· SS. 2698 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Medicare Hospital Accreditation Act of 2004 - Amends part E (Miscellaneous Provisions) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revoke the "deeming authority" for Medicare certification of hospitals of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH), under which a hospital accredited by the JCAH shall be deemed to meet the requirements for a Medicare-certified hospital. Authorizes the Secretary to recognize the Joint Commission on Accrediation of Healthcare Organizations as a national accreditation body upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may require.
Bill· HRH.R. 4877 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Medicare Hospital Accreditation Act of 2004 - Amends part E (Miscellaneous Provisions) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revoke the "deeming authority" for Medicare certification of hospitals of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH), under which a hospital accredited by the JCAH shall be deemed to meet the requirements for a Medicare-certified hospital. Authorizes the Secretary to recognize the Joint Commission on Accrediation of Healthcare Organizations as a national accreditation body upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may require.
Bill· HRH.R. 4871 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Puerto Rico Hospitals Medicare DSH Equity Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to include consideration of additional Medicare low-income patient populations served by Puerto Rico hospitals in the calculation of Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments for prospective payment system hospitals in Puerto Rico.
Bill· HRH.R. 4872 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Retinoblastoma Awareness and Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a retinoblastoma (a type of eye cancer prevalent in children) awareness and prevention program that includes: (1) prevention and identification programs; (2) programs on the provision of services for people with retinoblastoma; (3) developing and placing public service announcements; and (4) developing strategies to educate parents on retinoblastoma, early warning signs, and risk factors and to encourage parents to discuss retinoblastoma with their child's physician. Allows the Secretary to award grants, enter into cooperative agreements and contracts, and provide technical assistance to carry out this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 4866 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2004
Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services to: (1) administer the grant program established by this Act; (2) provide technical assistance to entities that provide permanent supportive housing to the chronically homeless; and (3) implement an approach to disseminate information about such housing that is targeted to individuals who have been homeless for long periods and have disabilities. Defines "chronically homeless" as an individual or family that is currently homeless, has been homeless continuously for at least one year or on at least four separate occasions in the last three years, and has an adult head of household with a disabling condition. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to: (1) design national strategies to provide services in supportive housing to end chronic homelessness; (2) collaborate with specified Federal departments and programs to implement programs that address chronic homelessness; (3) develop improved methods for serving individuals with mental or physical illnesses, disabilities, substance abuse problems, or co-occurring disorders; and (4) promote collaboration between Federal, State and local agencies that are responsible for systems of care to ensure that services for the chronically homeless are delivered in a coordinated manner that promotes housing stability. Requires the Secretary to award matching grants for the provision of services to chronically homeless individuals in permanent supportive housing.
Bill· SS. 2685 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2004
Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to grant States the option of covering certain categories of eligible women and child resident aliens under the Medicaid and SCHIP programs. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to provide for the extension of conveyance and passenger customs user fees.
Bill· SS. 2659 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Medicare Rural Home Health Services Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to provide for a two-year extension of the temporary Medicare payment increase for home health services furnished in a rural area.
Bill· SS. 2660 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Healthy Firefighters Act - Requires the United States Fire Administrator to contract with a medical research university to conduct long-term medical health monitoring of those firefighters who responded to emergencies in any areas declared a disaster by the Federal Government. Directs that such monitoring include monitoring of pulmonary illness, neurological damage, and cardiovascular damage and exposure documentation.
Bill· SS. 2667 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Medicare Replacement Drug Demonstration Project Improvement Act of 2004 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to: (1) require the Secretary to negotiate the lowest possible price for the drugs and biologicals for which payment is made under the Medicare replacement drug demonstration project; and (2) eliminate limitations on funding for such project.
Bill· SS. 2671 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
State Fiscal Relief Act of 2004 - Amends the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 to extend the temporary freeze of the Federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) for certain States (continuing the FY 2003 FMAP through each calendar quarter of FY 2004, and the FY 2004 FMAP for each calendar quarter of FY 2005 if the FY 2005 FMAP would otherwise be less than the FY 2004 FMAP). Amends the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 to increase the FMAP: (1) by 2.95 percentage points for the last two calendar quarters of FY 2003 and the first three calendar quarters of FY 2004; and (2) by 1.26 percentage points for the last calendar quarter of FY 2004 and each calendar quarter of FY 2005. Increases by 5.9 percent the ceiling on Medicaid payments to specified territories for the last two calendar quarters of FY 2003 and the first three calendar quarters of FY 2004. Increases such ceiling by 2.52 percent for the last calendar quarter of FY 2004 and each calendar quarter of FY 2005. Amends SSA title XIX, with respect to the transitional increased Federal matching rate for increased administrative costs, to require a specified minimum increase for administrative expenditures that would not be incurred but for enactment of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Sets $1.2 billion as the cap on the total amount of additional Federal funds expended as a result of this Act with respect to such administrative expenditures between October 1, 2004, and the later of either: (1) April 1, 2006; or (2) the end of the first fiscal year quarter that begins on or after the date on which benefits are first provided under the voluntary prescription drug benefit program under SSA title XVIII (Medicare) part D.
Bill· HRH.R. 4839 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Haiti Economic and Infrastructure Reconstruction Act - Authorizes the President to establish the Haiti Economic and Infrastructure Reconstruction Program under which recruited U.S. citizens will be deployed to Haiti to provide economic and infrastructure reconstruction and development assistance to the Government of Haiti. Requires: (1) the President to appoint an officer or employee of the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to serve as the Director of the Reconstruction Program; and (2) the Director to have expertise with Haiti, or with economic, educational, judicial, law enforcement, healthcare, or infrastructure reconstruction efforts in developing countries. Sets forth program provisions, including: (1) maximum recruitment of Haitian-Americans; and (2) maximum one-year deployment, with a maximum two-year additional stay. Authorizes the President to establish the Haiti Healthcare Assistance Program under which grants may be made to qualified nongovernmental organizations to establish infectious disease prevention programs in Haiti.
Bill· HRH.R. 4846 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2004
Social Security Number Privacy and Protection Act of 2004 - Directs the Director of Selective Service to alter the form of the Selective Service reminder mailback card, or the method by which the card is submitted to the Selective Service System, to reduce the risk of theft of Social Security account numbers included as part of the identifying information required from persons presenting themselves for registration under the Military Selective Service Act. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to eliminate the Social Security account number from Medicare, Medicaid (SSA title XIX), and SCHIP (SSA title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) identification cards. Amends Federal veterans' benefits law to eliminate the Social Security account number from veterans health care identification cards issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Expresses the sense of Congress that health insurers should not use Social Security account numbers on insurance identification or claims cards issued to beneficiaries, but should substitute another identification code or number instead.