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Bill· SS. 1927 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Fair Flat Tax Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to individual taxpayers to: (1) reduce to three (15, 25, and 35%) the number of income tax brackets for married and single taxpayers; (2) repeal tax rate reductions for capital gains and dividend income; (3) increase the basic standard tax deduction; (4) allow a refundable tax credit for state and local income, sales, and real and personal property taxes; (5) revise the earned income and child tax credits for taxpayers with no children; (6) repeal the alternative minimum tax; and (7) repeal certain tax credits, deductions, and exclusions after 2005. Imposes a flat tax of 35 percent on corporate taxable income. Allows a limited tax deduction for use of a corporate aircraft. Terminates certain preferential tax provisions for corporations. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to report to Congress on: (1) the elimination of tax benefits that subsidize inefficiencies in the health care system; and (2) reform of business pass-through entities. Terminates this Act after 2010.
Bill· SS. 1930 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to expand, intensify, and coordinate the Institute's research activities on inflammatory bowel disease, with an emphasis on: (1) genetic research on susceptibility for inflammatory bowel disease; (2) research targeted to increase knowledge about the causes and complications of inflammatory bowel disease in children; (3) animal model research; (4) clinical research; (5) expansion of the Institute's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centers program with a focus on pediatric research; and (6) other research initiatives identified in specified documents. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prepare a National Inflammatory Bowel Disease Action Plan to: (1) address the burden of inflammatory bowel disease in both adult and pediatric populations; (2) address strategies for determining the prevalence of the disease in the United States and the unique demographic characteristics of the patient community; (3) focus on strategies for increasing awareness about the disease within the general public and the health care community; and (4) address mechanisms designed to prevent the progression of the disease and the development of complications.
Bill· SS. 1929 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Faircare Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to require additional data collection and reporting for funded health programs. Authorizes the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop a set of quality measures for each of the most common treatment settings, including hospitals, pediatric centers, and outpatient facilities. Requires the Agency to rank these measures according to their potential to remedy health care disparities. Requires the Agency to establish an Advisory Committee on Quality to recommend quality indicators for all quality data sets developed by the Agency. Establishes the Office of National Healthcare Disparities and Quality within the Agency to administer the development and submission of the annual National Healthcare Disparities Report and the National Healthcare Quality Report. Amends Title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program under which financial incentive payments are made to hospitals if they meet certain criteria regarding data collection, high quality care, and the treatment of health disparity populations. Amends the PHSA to require the Secretary to: (1) designate health centers that receive federal assistance as Faircare Health Centers if they meet such criteria; and (2) make designated health centers eligible for annual bonuses. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants and carry out activities to expand the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Program (REACH 2010).
Bill· HRH.R. 4164 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Helping America Hear Act of 2005 - Requires each federal employee health benefits plan to provide coverage for at least two hearing aids every three years, except that such plan need not cover more than $2,500 for hearing aids for any individual in any three-year period. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require a group health plan that provides hospital and surgical benefits to also provide such hearing aid coverage. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require health insurance offered in the individual market to provide such coverage.
Bill· HRH.R. 4157 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to add a new title II part D (Health Information Technology). Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Directs the National Coordinator to: (1) maintain, direct, and oversee the continuous improvement of a strategic plan to guide the nationwide implementation of interoperable health information in both the public and private health care sectors; and (2) serve as the coordinator of federal government activities relating to health information technology. Prescribes conditions under which any nonmonetary remuneration (in the form of health information technology and related training services) made by a hospital or a critical access hospital to a physician shall not be considered a prohibited payment (subject to civil and criminal penalties) made as an inducement to reduce or limit services to certain individuals. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to study and report to Congress on whether pertinent state laws and current federal standards should be conformed to create a single set of national standards to preserve and protect the security and confidentality of patient health information. Amends SSA title XI to provide for establishment of uniform confidentality and security standards with respect to individually identifiiable patient health information. Directs the Secretary to: (1) promulgate a final rule for upgrading specified Accredited Standards Committee X12 (ASC X12) and National Council For Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) Telecommunications standards and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes; and (2) develop a strategic plan related to the need for coordination in the area of health information technology.
Bill· HRH.R. 4166 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Family Asthma Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to award grants to eligible entities to conduct pilot projects to prevent and control asthma symptoms and to reduce asthma attacks in families. Requires the Secretary to give: (1) priority to entities that serve a medically underserved population; and (2) consideration to an adequate rural-urban distribution, so as to gain better information about asthma at the national level. Authorizes additional appropriations to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to develop a National Asthma Action Plan and to fund a report to Congress by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) collaborate with state and local health departments to conduct activities to inform and educate the public regarding asthma; (2) conduct asthma surveillance activities to collect data on the prevalence and severity of asthma, the effectiveness of public heath asthma intervention, and the quality of asthma management; and (3) compile and annually publish asthma data. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to establish Dr. Irving J. Selikoff individual and institutional training grants for education and training of health care providers on the role of environmental factors in the development and prevention of asthma and recurrent asthma attacks.
Bill· HRH.R. 4150 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2005
Children's Health Equity Technical Amendment Act of 2005 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act to permit qualifying states to use up to 20% of their SCHIP allotment for any fiscal year (currently, only for FY1998-FY2001) for certain Medicaid expenditures.
Bill· HRH.R. 4153 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2005
Medicaid Cash and Counseling Program Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow a state to provide, as medical assistance, payment for the cost of self-directed personal assistance services (other than room and board) provided pursuant to a written plan of care to individuals who, but for such services, would require and receive personal care services under the plan, or home and community-based services provided pursuant to a waiver. Prohibits the provision of self-directed personal assistamce services to individuals who reside in a home or property owned, operated, or controlled by a service provider not related by blood or marriage.
Bill· SS. 1916 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Strengthening America's Security Act of 2005 - Provides for: (1) increases in funding, personnel, and technology at the federal, state, and local level for immigration and border enforcement and visa security, document integrity, immigration fraud, and detention and removal of illegal aliens; and (2) specified border enforcement studies. Sets forth provisions for the release on bond of certain illegal aliens from noncontiguous countries. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make expedited removal procedures available in all border patrol sectors on the southern U.S. border as soon as operationally possible. Authorizes grants to border-adjacent Indian tribes adversely affected by illegal immigration for law enforcement, health care, environmental restoration, and cultural preservation. Provides for increased detention and federal detention space. Prohibits detention that limits a person's reasonable access to legal counsel. Increases criminal penalties for alien smuggling, document fraud, gang violence, and drug trafficking. Makes an alien inadmissible who: (1) is a member of a street gang; or (2) refuses to comply with a lawful request for biometric data. Continues the institutional removal program (IRP). Establishes in: (1) the Department of Justice an Assistant Attorney General for Immigration Enforcement; and (2) the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Identity and Benefits Fraud Branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the Fraud Appellate Review Board, which shall review determinations by the Forensic Document Laboratory determinations of fraudulent documents. Provides for federal reimbursement of state and local costs associated with processing illegal aliens through the criminal justice system.
Bill· HRH.R. 4139 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Gulf Coast Hurricane Emergency Environmental Protection Act of 2005 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use Hurricane Katrina disaster relief funding for: (1) cleanup activities: (2) reconstruction and rehabilitation of drinking water supplies and wastewater treatment plants; and (3) addressing threats to human health or the environment due to Hurricane Katrina. Requires the Administrator to prioritize cleanup activities based upon risks posed to human health or the environment. Directs the Administrator, in coordination with the governors of affected states and relevant governmental agencies, to develop a Comprehensive Environmental Sampling and Toxicity Assessment Plan (CESTAP) to determine health and environmental hazards posed by exposure to contaminants, hazardous materials, or infectious materials released into the environment due to hurricanes and resultant flooding. Requires CESTAP to include comprehensive environmental testing, risk assessment, notification to the public and public health officials of environmental risks, cleanup provisions, training for responders and cleanup workers, and public health assessments and long-term monitoring of health risks from environmental contaminants released by Hurricane Katrina. Establishes an Independent Advisory and Review Board to assist the Administrator in carrying out this Act. Habitability of Residential Homes, Schools, and Commercial Buildings Affected by Hurricane Katrina Act of 2005 - Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish a grant program for abatement and inspection activities for residences, commercial buildings, and schools affected by Hurricane Katrina; (2) issues guidelines for mold and mold spore limits in buildings; and (3) issue guidelines for contractor training and certification for mold remediation.
Bill· HRH.R. 4131 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Public Health Emergency Medicines Act - Gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services the right to authorize use of the subject matter of a patent relating to health care without authorization of the patent holder if the Secretary determines that the invention is needed to address a public health emergency. Provides for reasonable remuneration for the patent holder for use of the patent. Allows the Secretary to authorize the use of a patent, without the patent holder's authorization, to export medicines or other health care products that are needed to address global public health emergencies when the legitimate rights of the patent holder are protected in the export market. Authorizes the Secretary to immediately approve a new drug application upon request by a person authorized to manufacture the drug under this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 4142 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Medicaid Transformation Grant Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for grants to states for the adoption of innovative methods to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in providing medical assistance.
Bill· HRH.R. 4137 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Better Screening Test for Women Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2006-FY2010 for the National Cancer Institute to conduct and support: (1) clinical research and related activities concerning early detection and screening for breast cancer; and (2) research and data collection regarding the link between early detection of breast cancer and reduction of mortality rates.
Bill· HRH.R. 4143 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Help Hospitals Recover Act of 2005 - Directs the Director of the Federal Emeregency Management Agency to make a described payment to each private or public hospital that temporarily ceased to operate because of a mandatory evacuation order issued in anticipation of Hurricane Rita.
Bill· SS. 1910 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2005
Electronic Prescription Drug Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for payments to physicians for writing electronic prescriptions.
Bill· SS. 1912 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2005
Global Network for Avian Influenza Surveillance Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Influenza Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to offer to enter into a contract with one or more eligible organizations to establish a Global Network for Avian Influenza Surveillance (GNAIS). Requires the eligible organization to manage an international surveillance program under which federal GNAIS partners: (1) monitor and test for the presence or arrival of avian influenza and other significant avian pathogens; (2) use trained professionals to collect samples and other data; (3) use the GNAIS for conducting disease surveillance, field investigations, training and capacity-building activities, and research; and (4) transmit information related to global distribution and characteristics of avian influenza to the Secretary. Requires the Secretary, acting through the eligible organization, to: (1) use surveillance reports and other sources to identify and investigate local disease outbreaks of avian influenza; (2) develop a long-term baseline of regional data to identify when and where outbreaks might occur and paths of dispersal; (3) provide technical assistance for disease prevention and control programs; (4) provide analytical disease findings to the Influenza Branch of CDC and other federal GNAIS partners; and ( 5) manage, map, and make available on an Internet database all results and information gathered under this Act. Directs the Secretary to request accredited colleges of veterinary medicine and other GNAIS partners to train members of the GNAIS network to: (1) monitor important bird areas around the world; and (2) test for the presence or arrival of avian influenza and other significant avian pathogens of zoonotic concern.
Bill· SS. 1909 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2005
Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act regarding telehealth services (services furnished via a telecommunication system by a physician to an enrolled individual) to: (1) remove current geographic restrictions on the provision of such services; (2) add to the kinds of facilities authorized to participate in the telehealth program; (3) provide for the expansion of use of store-and-forward technology; (4) add new kinds of practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services; (5) extend the meaning of covered telehealth services to any professional service meeting certain requirements; and (6) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to facilitate adoption of provisions allowing for multistate practitioner licensure across state lines. Directs the Secretary to make grants for expanding access to health care services for individuals in rural areas, frontier areas, and urban medically underserved areas through the use of telehealth. Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs.
Bill· HRH.R. 4124 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2005
Children and Media Research Advancement Act or the CAMRA Act - 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 (CDC), to establish an independent panel of experts to: (1) review, synthesize, and report on research, theory, and applications in the social, behavioral, and biological sciences regarding the impact of the content and use of electronic media on youth in certain core areas of child and adolescent development; and (2) establish research priorities regarding such issues. Requires the Secretary to: (1) initiate and support pilot projects to supplement and inform the panel's work; and (2) conduct or support additional research determined to be necessary by the panel concerning the role and impact of electronic media in the development of children and adolescents, with a particular focus on media content, format, length of exposure, age of the child or adolescent, and nature of parental involvement.
Bill· SS. 1902 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Children and Media Research Advancement Act or the CAMRA Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish an independent panel of experts to: (1) review, synthesize, and report on research, theory, and applications in the social, behavioral, and biological sciences regarding the roles and impact of the use of and exposure to electronic media on youth in certain core areas of child and adolescent development; and (2) establish research priorities regarding such issues. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct initial pilot projects to supplement and inform the panel's work. Requires the Director to develop and implement a program that funds additional research determined to be necessary by the panel concerning the role and impact of electronic media in the development of children and adolescents, with a particular focus on media content, format, length of exposure, age of the child or adolescent, and nature of parental involvement.
Bill· SS. 1900 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Keep the Promise of Medicare Act of 2006 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cap the Medicare part B premium for each month in 2006 at the same rate for each month in 2005, adjusted for inflation.
Bill· SS. 1903 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Generic Prescription Drug Fairness Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to revise requirements for drug manufacturer reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the average manufacturer price for each covered outpatient drug and the manufacturer's best price for single source and innovator multiple source drugs. Requires manufacturers to report also on the manufacturer's best price for each authorized generic drug and any other drugs sold under a new drug application approved under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Applies the basic rebate for single source and innovator multiple source drugs to authorized generic drugs and any other drugs sold under an approved new drug application.
Bill· HRH.R. 4102 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Public Health Emergency Medicines Act - Gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services the right to authorize use of the subject matter of a patent relating to health care without authorization of the patent holder if the Secretary determines that the invention is needed to address a public health emergency. Provides for reasonable remuneration for the patent holder for use of the patent. Allows the Secretary to authorize the use of a patent, without the patent holder's authorization, to export medicines or other health care products that are needed to address global public health emergencies when the legitimate rights of the patent holder are protected in the export market.
Bill· HRH.R. 4118 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Human Cloning Prevention Act of 2005 - Prohibits any federal agency from making, or entering into any obligation to make, any grant, contract, or other payment to any individual, business, institution, or organization that: (1) has engaged in human cloning in the past year; or (2) controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with any such individual or entity.
Bill· HRH.R. 4098 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Community Cancer Care Preservation Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to subject to quarterly reconciliation any payments to physicians for drugs or biologicals made according to average sales price payment methodology in order to assure that they do not exceed or fall short of the actual average sales price during any preceding period. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review all such payments in the preceding quarter and compare them to the verified average sales price reported by the manufacturer for such quarter. Removes prompt pay discounts from the calculation of the manufacturer's average sales price. Extends through December 31, 2006, the current demonstration project to identify and assess oncology services that positively affect cancer outcomes. Requires the Secretary to make an additional 2% for drug administration services payment to physicians for overhead and related costs. Directs the Secretary to develop indicators for the evaluation of the quality of oncology services provided in the physician office setting. Requires the Director of the National Cancer Institute to develop a strategic plan to increase the number of cancer patients who enroll in clinical trials.
Bill· HRH.R. 4103 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Accountability Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the contract with an Medicare Advantage (MA) organization to provide for a minimum loss ratio (aggregate average benefits that are at least a minimum ratio of the aggregate average revenues collected under the contract) and a maximum administrative cost ratio (aggregate average administrative costs that do not exceed a maximum ratio of the aggregate average revenues collected under the contract). Requires each contract with a Medicare+Choice organization to grant the Secretary of Health and Human Services the right to audit and inspect any books and records of the organization for compliance with such ratio and related administrative cost requirements. Applies such requirements to contracts with prescription drug sponsors under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program). Prescribes requirements for financial transparency of MA plans. Renders an election to enroll with an MA plan ineffective unless the election form is signed by the individual and specifically acknowledges specified plan features. Applies such requirements to prescription drug plans under Medicare part D. Directs the Secretary to transmit to Congress annual MA accountability and prescription drug accountability reports. Requires periodic audits by the departmental Inspector General of the Secretary's determinations about the acturial equivalency of MA plans. Requires each prescription drug plan sponsor with respect to a prescription drug plan, and each MA organization with respect to an MA-PD plan, to report annually to the Inspector General on drug claims rejections and reversals on appeal. Directs the Secretary to appoint a Medicare prescription drug ombudsman.
Bill· HRH.R. 4110 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
American Parity Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make grants to states and local governments for assistance in making priority expenditures. Defines priority expenditures as ordinary and necessary maintenance and operating expenses for: (1) primary, secondary, or higher education; (2) public safety; (3) public health; (4) social services for the disadvantaged or aged; (5) roads, transportation, and water infrastructure; and (6) housing, as well as ordinary and necessary capital expenditures authorized by state law. Requires at least one third of grant amounts to be made available to local governments.
Bill· HRH.R. 4088 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2005
Protect Our Homes Act - Prohibits a federal, state, or local governmental entity from using the power of eminent domain to take private property for economic development purposes unless the entity meets specified conditions, including that: (1) the property constitutes a significant public health or safety risk; (2) the entity has examined all reasonable alternatives to the taking; (3) the entity has provided notice of the taking and opportunity for public comment; (4) the entity has provided just compensation for the property; and (5) the entity has provided a process by which the affected community may petition to put the proposed development to a ballot initiative at the earliest practicable time.
Bill· HRH.R. 4078 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2005
Maintaining Medicare Access Act of 2005 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish the single conversion factor for Medicare physician payment rates for 2006 at not less than the level for 2005.
Bill· HRH.R. 4077 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2005
Preventing Sexual Assaults in the Military Act of 2005 - Authorizes necessary appropriations to: (1) eliminate the backlog in processing DNA evidence at military DNA laboratories, including the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory; (2) ensure that DNA testing and analysis of samples from crimes, including sexual assault and other serious violent crimes, are carried out in a timely manner; (3) distribute a sufficient amount of DNA evidence kits to each military academy, domestic military base, overseas military base, and theater of operations; and (4) ensure that at least one military medical personnel member trained as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) or Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) is on duty at all times in the health care facility of each military academy, domestic military military base, overseas military base, and theater of operations, except where a memorandum of understanding ensures that a nonmilitary SANE or SAFE is on duty at all times.
Bill· SS. 1884 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2005
Ambulatory Surgical Center Medicare Payment Modernization Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the requirements and the formula for payments for services furnished to individuals in ambulatory surgical centers.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 276 (109th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) rebirthing, an attachment therapy technique that reenacts the birth process by physically restraining a child and forcing the child to emerge unaided, is dangerous, potentially life-threatening, and unsupported by scientific evidence; and (2) each state should enact laws prohibiting the use of rebirthing techniques.
Bill· SS. 1873 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2005
Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency (BARDA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate and oversee activities that support and accelerate qualified countermeasure or qualified pandemic or epidemic product advanced research and development. Requires the Director of BARDA to establish and convene a Vulnerable Populations Working Group. Establishes the National Biodefense Advisory Board and the Biodefense Medical Countermeasure Development Fund. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend the period of market exclusivity for designated countermeasure products from seven to ten years. Prohibits any cause of action for liability for damages related to a security countermeasure or a qualified pandemic and epidemic product, with an exception for willful misconduct. Requires the Secretary of HHS to establish a process to provide compensation to individuals involved in an emergency response plan who are injured as a result of a countermeasure. Allows the Secretary to award rebates or grants related to manufacturing of, or research on, vaccine, qualified countermeasures, or qualified pandemic or epidemic products. Requires the Secretary to establish the Animal Model/Research Tool Scientific Advisory Committee. Amends the Clayton Act to allow antitrust exemptions for certain meetings and agreements among parties involved in the development of security or qualified countermeasures or qualified pandemic or epidemic products if deemed necessary to ensure the availability of such countermeasures or products. Prohibits any payment on a security countermeasure procurement contract until delivery of a acceptable portion of such product to the Secretary unless advance payment is necessary to ensure the success of the project. Establishes the National Pathology Center and a Board of Regents of the Center. Transfers to the Center certain functions of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.
Bill· SS. 1880 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2005
National Biodefense and Pandemic Preparedness Act of 2005 - Establishes the National BioVenture Trust as a federal government corporation to administer the BioShield Act and support the development of countermeasures. Requires the Trust to establish a Vulnerable Populations Working Group. Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide for adequate countermeasure domestic manufacturing capacity and construction of additional facilities. Expands the definition of "security countermeasure" to include vaccines or microbicides used to treat or prevent certain diseases or viruses that may contribute to a pandemic. Provides incentives for development and production of countermeasures. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to support the cost of screening, research, development, testing, and initial manufacture of potential candidates for countermeasures. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Commission of Food and Drugs, to facilitate the prompt development, review, and approval of security countermeasures. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require postmarket studies for countermeasures after an exigency requiring the use of the drug arises. Establishes the Biodefense Injury Compensation Program to provide compensation for damages that are likely caused by the administration of a covered countermeasure. Extends liability protection for health professionals administering small pox countermeasures to include other countermeasures. Sets forth provisions regarding pandemic influenza preparedness plans, a buyback program for influenza vaccines, price gouging, an influenza vaccine electronic tracking system, and critical antimicrobial drugs. Establishes the National Institute of Pathology and a Board of Regents of the Institute. Transfers to the Institute certain functions of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Requires the Secretary to establish the National Advisory Committee on Vulnerable Populations and Terrorism. Requires the Secretary to establish a Select Agent Advisory Committee to advise on matters related to security checks for individuals handling biological agents or toxins.
Bill· HRH.R. 4062 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2005
Pandemic Preparedness and Response Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the President to appoint a National Director of Pandemic Preparedness and Response to strengthen, expand, and coordinate domestic pandemic influenza preparedness activities. Establishes the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Policy Coordinating Committee to develop an Interagency Preparedness Plan. Requires states to have an approved state preparedness plan as a condition of receiving certain funds related to bioterrorism. Provides for the integration and coordination of public and private influenza surveillance activities. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) procure antivirals, developed vaccines, and essential medications for the Strategic National Stockpile; (2) develop a national system for tracking and distributing antiviral medications and vaccines; and (3) assist other counties in preparation for, and response to, pandemic influenza. Provides for the expansion and intensification of influenza research. Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study topics related to the pandemic influenza. Establishes the National Pandemic Influenza Economics Advisory Committee. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to expand and intensify efforts to prevent pandemic influenza. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) enter into contracts with manufacturers to produce additional necessary doses of the influenza vaccine; and (2) develop a national plan for responding to potential influenza vaccine shortages. Sets forth prohibitions against charging excessive prices during a public health emergency for, reporting false pricing information to the Secretary about, or employing a manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance in connection with the purchase or sale of, drugs, devices, or biologics for the prevention or treatment of influenza at wholesale.
Bill· HRH.R. 4063 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2005
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and make available to local educational agencies a voluntary policy to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools. Directs that such policy address: (1) a parental obligation to provide the school with information regarding a student's food allergy and anaphylaxis; (2) communication strategies between schools and emergency medical services; (3) strategies to reduce the risk of exposure in classrooms and common areas; (4) food allergy management training of school personnel; (5) authorization of school personnel to administer epinephrine when the school nurse is not immediately available; and (6) creation of an individual health care plan tailored to each child's risk for anaphylaxis.
Bill· HRH.R. 4050 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Medicare Cost Contract Extension and Refinement Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) extend the period reasonable cost reimbursement contracts under Medicare can remain in the market, and the period during which they can be modified to expand their service area; and (2) apply to extended or renewed reasonable cost contracts certain requirements under Medicare part C (Medicare Advantage).
Bill· HRH.R. 4022 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Reconstructive Surgery Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage, that provide coverage for surgery to also cover reconstructive surgery, including medically-necessary treatment for preoperative and postoperative care. Defines "reconstructive surgery" as any medically necessary and appropriate surgery performed to correct or repair abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors, or disease to: (1) improve functions; or (2) give the patient a normal appearance. Excludes cosmetic surgery that is performed to alter or reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve appearance. Applies such requirements to health insurance coverage offered in the individual market.
Bill· HRH.R. 4042 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Ambulatory Surgical Center Medicare Payment Modernization Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the requirements and the formula for payments for services furnished to individuals in ambulatory surgical centers.
Bill· HRH.R. 4033 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
ALS Registry Act - 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 (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); and (2) establish a national registry for the collection and storage of ALS data. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish the Advisory Committee on the National ALS Registry to study and make recommendations to the Secretary concerning: (1) the development and maintenance of the registry; (2) the type of information to be included; (3) the manner in which data is to be collected; (4) the use and availability of such data; and (5) the collection of information about diseases and disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on ALS. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for public access to an electronic national database that accepts data from state registries, health care professionals, and others as recommended by the Advisory Committee in a manner that protects personal privacy. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information is made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Bill· HRH.R. 4039 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the reduction in unusued medical residency positions as a component of the Secretary of Health and Human Services' payment of direct graduate medical education costs under the Medicare program. Makes an exception from this reduction for small family practice residency programs in hospitals located in rural areas or small urban areas.
Bill· HRH.R. 4036 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Amends the Public Health Service Act to include certain children's hospitals under the definition of "covered entity" to allow such hospitals to participate in the drug discount program.
Bill· SS. 1841 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Medicare Informed Choice Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) provide for an extended period of open enrollment during all of 2006 without late enrollment penalty; (2) give Medicare beneficiaries the opportunity to make a one-time change in prescription drug plan enrollment at any point in 2006; and (3) provide protection from loss of employment-based retiree health coverage upon enrollment for Medicare prescription drug benefit, including a Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug benefit, during 2006.
Bill· SS. 1840 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Safety Net Inpatient Drug Affordability Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to expand the discount drug program to include any inpatient or outpatient drug purchased by qualified hospitals without a group purchasing arrangement. (Currently, such hospitals are only allowed to purchase discounted outpatient drugs.) Requires such hospitals to provide the state with a rebate on the estimated annual costs of single source, innovator multiple source, and noninnovator multiple source drugs provided to Medicaid recipients for inpatient use. Sets forth a method for calculating the amount of such rebate. Allows critical access hospitals that do not obtain covered outpatient drugs through a group purchasing organization or other group purchasing arrangement to participate in the discount drug program.
Bill· SS. 1828 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Influenza Vaccine Security Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) determine an annual production target for influenza vaccine; (2) coordinate with the private market to encourage the production of such vaccine in amounts that will meet the annual target; and (3) establish an influenza vaccine buyback protocol to purchase excess stock of influenza vaccine. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary to award technical assistance grants to entities seeking to enter the U.S. influenza vaccine market, expand their vaccine production capacity, or improve their ability to remain within such market. Requires the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop a regulatory roadmap to address issues surrounding emergency use authorization of influenza vaccine. Requires the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to solicit proposals for research to improve technologies for influenza vaccine development. Requires the Director of the Institute to review current vaccine development research. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) establish an electronic tracking system for the influenza vaccine; and (2) revise and expand influenza-related education materials. Allows the Secretary to designate a qualified pandemic influenza technology during a public health emergency. Deems a covered person, such as a manufacturer, distributer, or licensed health care professional, to be an employee of the Public Health Service with respect to liability for personal injury or death related to such a qualified technology. Provides for an exclusive federal cause of action for such claims.
Bill· SS. 1833 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Medicaid Health Opportunity Account Act of 2005 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration program under which states may provide alternative benefits, including health opportunity accounts, for eligible population groups in one or more geographic areas. Prohibits the Secretary from approving a state demonstration program unless it provides for transactions involving health opportunity accounts to be conducted electronically and without cash. Limits contributions into a health opportunity account to those by: (1) the state under Medicaid; and (2) other persons and entities, such as charitable organizations. Requires a state to specify the contribution amount that shall be deposited into a health opportunity account. Allows a state to: (1) impose limitations on the maximum contributions that may be deposited into a health opportunity account in a year; and (2) limit contributions into such an account once the balance reaches a specified level. Prohibits a state from contributing annually to a health opportunity account, on behalf of an individual or family, more than $2,500 per adult and $1,000 per child. Allows the use of amounts in a health opportunity account for payment of such health care expenditures as the state specifies.
Bill· SS. 1827 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Hospital Price Reporting and Disclosure Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require a hospital to: (1) report data to the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding the frequency of performing certain services and administering certain drugs and the charge by the hospital for such services or drugs; and (2) prominently post such information at each admission site. Requires the Secretary to: (1) publicly post such information in a manner that promotes charge comparisons among hospitals; and (2) select which services or drugs are to be reported based on how frequently each service is performed or each drug is administered. Allows the Secretary to impose a civil monetary penalty for violations of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 4007 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Makes a member of the Armed Forces who is performing duty in response to a disaster or emergency declaration after August 28, 2005, in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina or Rita eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for any disability, notwithstanding insufficient medical evidence to conclude that the disability is attributable to such duty. Prohibits such care or services with respect to a disability found to have resulted from a cause other than such duty. Terminates eligibility two years after the member's discharge or release from such duty. Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to review and make recommendations for the health surveillance of members who may be exposed to environmental hazards as the result of duty in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to maintain a database of members provided health care by the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to such duty.
Bill· HRH.R. 3980 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Medicare Beneficiary Assistance Improvement Act - Renames the benefit programs for lower income Medicare beneficiaries under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA), commonly referred to as the "qualified Medicare beneficiary (QMB) program" and the "special low-income Medicare beneficiary (SLMB) program," as the Medicare Savings Programs. Amends SSA title XIX with respect to Medicare Savings Programs to: (1) increase the SLMB eligibility income level from 120% to 135% of the poverty line; (2) deem to be qualified Medicare beneficiaries in certain states individuals already receiving benefits under SSA title XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI); (3) permit individual self-certification of income and use of a simplified QMB or SLMB application form; (4) provide for automatic reenrollment; (5) direct the Commissioner of Social Security to provide for QMB and SLMB outreach through local offices of the Social Security Administration; (6) eliminate the assets test; (7) prohibit estate recovery under QMB and SLMB; and (8) provide for three months retroactive eligibility with respect to Medicare cost-sharing for QMBs. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary), the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Administrator of Social Security to arrange for a demonstration project to identify Medicare beneficiaries who are likely, based on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data, to qualify for benefits under the QMB or SLMB programs, or to be entitled to a premium or cost-sharing subsidy for low-income individuals under the Medicare prescription drug program. Requires the Secretary to enter into a demonstration project to provide states with funds to use such information to do ex parte determinations or utilize other methods for identifying and enrolling potentially eligible individuals. Requires the Commissioner of Social Security to send a notice and application for Medicaid benefits to individuals identified as likely to be eligible for QMB or SLMB benefits, or entitled to a premium and cost-sharing subsidy for low-income individuals under the Medicare prescription drug program, when notifying them of their eligibility for Medicare benefits.
Bill· HRH.R. 3970 (109th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Bioterror and Pandemic Preparedness Protection Act - Amends the federal judicial code to establish an exclusive federal cause of action for all claims relating to a qualified pandemic or epidemic product or a security countermeasure. Restricts all causes of action for such claims against a manufacturer, distributor, or health care provider and instead provides for sole and exclusive action against the United States. Gives jurisdiction over such an action to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Establishes a rebuttable presumption of immunity for the federal government in any such action concerning: (1) a security countermeasure that has been procured for or donated to the National Strategic Stockpile; (2) a qualified pandemic or epidemic product that has been procured by or donated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services; or (3) a designated security countermeasure or qualified pandemic or epidemic product in an actual or potential public health emergency. Allows a party to petition the Attorney General to investigate claims against a manufacturer, distributor, administrator, or heath care provider. Disallows judicial review of the Attorney General's decision as to whether to undertake such an investigation. Declares that the immunity presumption shall be overcome by a determination by the Attorney General, by finding clear and convincing evidence, that the manufacturer, distributor, administrator, or health care provider intentionally or with willful disregard violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act and that such violation: (1) caused the product to present a significant or unreasonable human health risk; and (2) proximately caused the injury alleged by the party.
Bill· SS. 1821 (109th)open
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2005
Pandemic Preparedness and Response Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the President to appoint a National Director of Pandemic Preparedness and Response to strengthen, expand, and coordinate domestic pandemic influenza preparedness activities. Establishes the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Policy Coordinating Committee to develop an Interagency Preparedness Plan. Requires states to have an approved state preparedness plan as a condition of receiving certain funds related to bioterrorism. Provides for the integration and coordination of public and private influenza surveillance activities. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) procure antivirals, developed vaccines, and essential medications for the Strategic National Stockpile; (2) develop a national system for tracking and distributing antiviral medications and vaccines; and (3) assist other counties in preparation for, and response to, pandemic influenza. Provides for the expansion and intensification of influenza research. Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study topics related to the pandemic influenza. Establishes the National Pandemic Influenza Economics Advisory Committee. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to expand and intensify efforts to prevent pandemic influenza. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) enter into contracts with manufacturers to produce additional necessary doses of the influenza vaccine; and (2) develop a national plan for responding to potential influenza vaccine shortages. Sets forth prohibitions against charging excessive prices during a public health emergency for, reporting false pricing information to the Secretary about, or employing a manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance in connection with the purchase or sale of, drugs, devices, or biologics for the prevention or treatment of influenza at wholesale.