Healthcare

Women’s Public Health and Safety Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023

Women's Public Health and Safety Act This bill allows a state to exclude from participation in the state's Medicaid program a provider that performs an abortion, unless (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or (2) the woman suffers from a physical issue that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. Under current law, a state plan for medical assistance must provide that any individual eligible for medical assistance may obtain required services from any provider qualified to perform them.

Health Center Community Transformation Hub Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023

Health Center Community Transformation Hub Act This bill permits the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award supplemental funds to certain health centers that care for medically underserved populations for addressing primary social determinants of health (i.e., nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes, such as transportation, food security, and economic security). To receive the supplemental funding, health centers must be recipients of other HRSA grants that support health center operations and activities. Health centers must use the supplemental funds to implement a community-based network of organizations capable of addressing the social determinants of health. Additionally, HRSA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must issue guidance on sustaining these networks after the supplemental funding terminates.

BENEFIT Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023

Better Empowerment Now to Enhance Framework and Improve Treatments Act of 2023 or the BENEFIT Act of 2023 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider relevant patient experience data in the risk-benefit assessment framework used in the process for approving new drugs. After a new drug application has been approved, the FDA's public statement about how it used patient experience data shall include a description of how such data was considered in the risk-benefit assessment framework.

EXAMINING HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

United States · United States Senate · 16 February 2023

Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2023

Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act This bill increases the monetary penalties for noncompliance with the requirement that hospitals publish, and periodically update, a list of their standard charges for items and services.

Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2023

Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes through FY2032 and expands the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. Through this program, the Health Resources and Services Administration provides loan repayment assistance to individuals who agree to work for a period of time in the field of substance use disorder treatment. In particular, the bill expands eligibility to include individuals who agree to work in mental health professional shortage areas for a period of time. The bill also allows the use of the loan repayment assistance to repay any loan incurred to obtain a post-graduate degree in a mental health or related field. (Current law limits the loans eligible for repayment to loans for education and training for substance use disorder treatment employment and specified nursing and federal education loans.)

Women’s Public Health and Safety Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2023

Women's Public Health and Safety Act This bill allows a state to exclude from participation in the state's Medicaid program a provider that performs an abortion, unless (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or (2) the woman suffers from a physical issue that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. Under current law, a state plan for medical assistance must provide that any individual eligible for medical assistance may obtain required services from any provider qualified to perform them.

BENEFIT Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2023

Better Empowerment Now to Enhance Framework and Improve Treatments Act of 2023 or the BENEFIT Act of 2023 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider relevant patient experience data in the risk-benefit assessment framework used in the process for approving new drugs. After a new drug application has been approved, the FDA's public statement about how it used patient experience data shall include a description of how such data was considered in the risk-benefit assessment framework.

Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2023

Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2023 This bill repeals provisions under the Stark law (i.e., the Physician Self-Referral Law) that limit, for purposes of Medicare participation, self-referrals by newly constructed or expanded physician-owned hospitals.

Maintaining Investments in New Innovation Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 February 2023

Maintaining Investments in New Innovation Act This bill requires drug products with genetically targeted technology to have had market approval for at least 11 years in order to qualify for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. (The program requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to negotiate the prices of certain prescription drugs under Medicare beginning in 2026. Among other requirements, drugs must have had market approval for at least 7 years (for drug products) or 11 years (for biologics) to qualify for negotiation.)

PRESIDENT BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

United States · United States House of Representatives · 15 February 2023

Veterans Patient Advocacy Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2023

Veterans Patient Advocacy Act This bill requires the Office of Patient Advocacy within the Veterans Health Administration to ensure (1) there is not fewer than one patient advocate for every 13,500 veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, and (2) highly rural veterans may access the services of patient advocates. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the implementation of such policies.

Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2023

Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act This bill retroactively makes certain health care facilities and medical practitioners liable for any physical, psychological, emotional, or physiological harms caused by performing a gender-transition procedure on an individual who is younger than 18. The liability extends for 30 years after the individual who received the procedure turns 18, and it applies to procedures that occurred prior to the enactment of the bill. Specifically, the liability applies to pediatric gender clinics (medical facilities specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of gender discordance and dysphoria in minors) that provide gender-transition procedures; institutions of higher education and hospitals affiliated with those clinics, and medical practitioners who perform gender-transition procedures and those who administer health care related to the procedures at pediatric gender clinics. Medical practitioners and health care facilities may defend against a liability claim if they neither knew nor had reason to know the individual was a minor. Additionally, the bill prohibits federal funding for (1) gender-transition procedures performed on minors, (2) pediatric gender clinics, and (3) institutions of higher education or hospitals affiliated with those clinics. Under the bill, gender-transition procedures generally include surgeries or hormone therapies that change the body of an individual to correspond to a sex that is different than the individual's biological sex. They exclude, however, specified types of interventions, including those that address (1) ambiguous external biological sex characteristics or abnormal sex chromosome structure or hormones; or (2) infections or other harms that result from a gender-transition procedure.

Urban Indian Health Confer Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2023

Urban Indian Health Confer Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to confer with urban Indian organizations regarding health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban areas. Currently, only the Indian Health Service (IHS) is required to confer with urban Indian organizations on matters relating to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The bill requires HHS to ensure that the IHS and other agencies and offices within HHS confer with urban Indian organizations on (1) matters relating to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, and (2) other provisions of law relating to health care for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Travel Freedom Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2023

Travel Freedom Act This bill nullifies certain orders issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that restrict noncitizens from entering the United States if they are not full vaccinated against COVID-19. Specifically, the bill nullifies the CDC order titled Amended Order Implementing Presidential Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic and published on April 7, 2022. (The order restricts the entry of noncitizens who are not immigrants into the United States by air travel unless they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or otherwise attest that they will take public health measures to prevent the spread of the disease.) Additionally, the bill nullifies the DHS order titled Notification of Temporary Travel Restrictions Applicable to Land Ports of Entry and Ferries Services Between the United States and Canada and published on April 22, 2022. (The order restricts the entry of noncitizens who are not immigrants along the United States-Canada border, including at ferry terminals, unless they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and can provide proof upon request.) The bill also nullifies any successor or subsequent orders that require proof of a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of entry into the United States and prohibits the use of federal funds to administer or enforce such requirements.

Territories Health Equity Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Territories Health Equity Act of 2023 This bill alters provisions relating to the treatment of U.S. territories under Medicaid, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage. For example, the bill eliminates Medicaid funding limitations for U.S. territories beginning in FY2024, exempts an individual from late-enrollment penalties for Medicare medical services if the individual resided in Puerto Rico as of the date of eligibility and the individual enrolls within five years of such date, and establishes minimum criteria for certain elements used in Medicare Advantage payment calculations for areas within U.S. territories. The bill also allows residents of U.S. territories who are unable to obtain health insurance through their employer or a health insurance exchange to instead obtain coverage that is at least as broad as the coverage available to Members of Congress and their staff through the District of Columbia exchange.

VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to study the effects of cannabis on veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system and have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or chronic pain (i.e., eligible veterans). First, the bill requires the VA to conduct an observational, 18-month study on the effects of cannabis on the health outcomes of eligible veterans. The VA must report on the study and address whether it is able to meet criteria necessary to conduct clinical trials. Then, if the VA determines that it is able to proceed, it must carry out a series of clinical trials on the effects of cannabis appropriate for investigational use, as determined by the Food and Drug Administration, on the outcomes of eligible veterans. The VA must carry out a long-term observational study of the clinical trial participants. The VA may terminate the trials if it is unable to meet clinical guideline requirements or the trials would create excessive risk to participants. The VA must ensure that the study and trials are representative of the demographics of veterans in the United States, as determined by the most recent data from the American Community Survey of the Bureau of the Census. The study and trials must include mechanisms to ensure data preservation and registration as necessary (in an anonymous form).

SAFE Hospitals Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

State Accountability, Flexibility, and Equity for Hospitals Act of 2023 or the SAFE Hospitals Act of 2023 This bill alters Medicaid requirements relating to payment for inpatient hospital services that are provided by disproportionate share hospitals (DSHs). (DSHs are hospitals that receive additional payment under Medicaid for treating a large share of low-income patients.) Among other changes, the bill requires state Medicaid programs to adopt a payment methodology that meets certain criteria, including by prioritizing payments based on the DSH tier for which the hospital qualifies; tiers are determined based on factors such as the hospital's Medicaid inpatient utilization rate. The bill also incorporates state poverty ratios (i.e., the number of qualifying low-income individuals in a state compared to all states) into the formula for determining state DSH allotments under Medicaid. The bill phases in application of the revised formula over the course of 10 to 15 years.

Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2023 This bill expands immunity from civil liability related to emergency use of automated external defibrillator devices (AEDs). In particular, the bill specifies that immunity applies regardless of whether the person who used the AED complied with signage, received training, or was assisted or supervised by another person, such as a licensed physician. Additionally, the bill limits the liability of the person who owns or acquires an AED for harm resulting from its use unless that person fails to appropriately maintain the AED.

Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2023 This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to conduct a public education campaign to increase oral health literacy and awareness. HRSA must design the campaign to focus on children, pregnant women, parents, older adults, people with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities.

Promoting Public Health Information Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Promoting Public Health Information Act This bill sets out programs and activities to support the communication and dissemination of evidence-based public health information, with a particular focus on communication during public health emergencies. Specifically, it temporarily establishes an advisory committee to report on and make recommendations about, for example, the role and impact of misinformation on responses to public health emergencies and strategies to improve communication during such emergencies. The committee terminates four years after the bill's enactment. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must support the development of initiatives that promote fact-based public health and medical information to the public and educate the public on identifying misinformation.

HEARTS Act of 2022

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Humane and Existing Alternatives in Research and Testing Sciences Act of 2022 [ sic ] or the HEARTS Act of 2022 [ sic ] This bill establishes a center within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and requires other activities to promote alternatives to using animals in research and testing. The duties of the center include developing nonanimal research models (e.g., advanced cell cultures and advanced imaging systems) and training scientists about the methods. Additionally, if a federal department or agency or federally funded research entity uses animals for research and testing, it must develop and update plans for reducing such uses and periodically report on the number and types of animals that they use to the center. The center must establish a standard process for entities to submit and update their plans and reports and for making the plans and reports publicly available. The NIH must also provide incentives for the use of nonanimal research and generally ensure that nonanimal alternatives are considered when reviewing and approving research applications and proposals. Further, NIH applications for research grants must include an assurance that nonanimal methods for carrying out the research are unavailable.

COVID–19 Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

COVID-19 Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act This bill prohibits making federal funds available to any facility that refuses to treat an individual based on the individual's COVID-19 vaccination status, including any funding under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Eliminating the Head Start Vaccine Mandate Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Eliminating the Head Start Vaccine Mandate Act This bill prohibits federal funds from being used to implement or enforce the Department of Health and Human Services' rule titled Vaccine and Mask Requirements To Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19 in Head Start Programs , published on November 30, 2021, or any substantially similar rule, regulation, or agency statement.

Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2023 This bill modifies the extension of dependent coverage under TRICARE by allowing a dependent under the age of 26 to be covered without an additional premium. Additionally, the bill authorizes such coverage of dependents without an additional premium regardless of whether they are eligible to enroll in an employer-sponsored plan.

Audit and Return It Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Audit and Return It Act This bill establishes requirements for auditing and rescinding unobligated funds that were provided to address COVID-19. Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to (1) conduct an audit of specified funds that were provided to address COVID-19, and (2) issue a report listing the unobligated funds that remain available. The bill also requires the unobligated funds to be (1) rescinded on the date the OMB report is issued, and (2) deposited into the Treasury for the sole purpose of deficit reduction. The bill applies to unobligated funds that were provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020; the Families First Coronavirus Response Act; the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act); the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act; Divisions M and N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Easy Enrollment in Health Care Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Easy Enrollment in Health Care Act This bill revises the procedures related to enrollment in health insurance affordability programs, including Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and state-operated Basic Health Programs. The bill provides funding to support the changes. Specifically, the bill permits individuals who do not have minimum essential coverage to, in conjunction with filing their tax return, determine whether any members of their household are eligible for an insurance affordability program and enroll in minimum essential coverage. The bill makes individuals eligible for Medicaid or CHIP based on a prior finding of eligibility for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Additionally, the bill provides access to certain information to support enrollment in insurance affordability programs.

SAFE Hospitals Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

State Accountability, Flexibility, and Equity for Hospitals Act of 2023 or the SAFE Hospitals Act of 2023 This bill alters Medicaid requirements relating to payment for inpatient hospital services that are provided by disproportionate share hospitals (DSHs). (DSHs are hospitals that receive additional payment under Medicaid for treating a large share of low-income patients.) Among other changes, the bill requires state Medicaid programs to adopt a payment methodology that meets certain criteria, including by prioritizing payments based on the DSH tier for which the hospital qualifies; tiers are determined based on factors such as the hospital's Medicaid inpatient utilization rate. The bill also incorporates state poverty ratios (i.e., the number of qualifying low-income individuals in a state compared to all states) into the formula for determining state DSH allotments under Medicaid. The bill phases in application of the revised formula over the course of 10 to 15 years.

Federal Social Media Research Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Federal Social Media Research Act This bill provides funding for a short-term study and a long-term study on the physical and mental health effects of using social media technologies on users who are under the age of 18. It also authorizes the Government Accountability Office to conduct the studies, including in partnership with any other federal agency. The bill specifies that the aim of the studies is to assess the relationship between patterns of social media use and suicide, anxiety, depression, and other medical conditions.

COVID–19 Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

COVID-19 Vaccination Non-Discrimination Act This bill prohibits making federal funds available to any facility that refuses to treat an individual based on the individual's COVID-19 vaccination status, including any funding under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2023 This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to conduct a public education campaign to increase oral health literacy and awareness. HRSA must design the campaign to focus on children, pregnant women, parents, older adults, people with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities.

A resolution honoring the memories of the victims of the senseless attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

This resolution honors the memories of the victims killed in the attack on February 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and offers condolences to the families, loved ones, and friends of the victims. The resolution (1) honors the survivors and pledges continued support for their recovery, (2) recognizes the strength and resilience of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School community, and (3) expresses gratitude to the emergency medical and health care professionals of the Parkland community for their efforts in responding to the attack and caring for the victims and survivors.

Promoting Public Health Information Act

United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023

Promoting Public Health Information Act This bill sets out programs and activities to support the communication and dissemination of evidence-based public health information, with a particular focus on communication during public health emergencies. Specifically, it temporarily establishes an advisory committee to report on and make recommendations about, for example, the role and impact of misinformation on responses to public health emergencies and strategies to improve communication during such emergencies. The committee terminates four years after the bill's enactment. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must support the development of initiatives that promote fact-based public health and medical information to the public and educate the public on identifying misinformation.

Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act

United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2023

Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue issuing at least every 10 years physical-activity guidelines based on the most current scientific and medical knowledge. HHS must also publish updated reports that detail evidence-based practices and highlight continuing physical-activity issues between iterations of the guidelines.

Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2023

Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2023 This bill repeals provisions under the Stark law (i.e., the Physician Self-Referral Law) that limit, for purposes of Medicare participation, self-referrals by newly constructed or expanded physician-owned hospitals.

Expressing support for States to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to close the Medicaid coverage gap.

United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2023

This resolution urges states that have not yet expanded Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to do so. It also expresses support for H.R. 31, which establishes a demonstration program to allow local governments to provide health benefits to the Medicaid expansion population in states that have not expanded Medicaid.

Second Chance at Life Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2023

Second Chance at Life Act of 2023 This bill requires abortion providers to disclose information about the possibility of reversing a medication abortion. This is a procedure that uses a medication regimen to terminate a pregnancy, typically with a two-drug protocol. Providers must inform patients that it may be possible to reverse the effects of a medication abortion after taking the first drug. They must also let patients know that more information and assistance is available on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website. At least 24 hours before the procedure, the provider must share this information with the patient in person or by telephone. The provider must also include the information in written discharge instructions after the first drug is dispensed. The bill sets out an exception to these notification requirements when an abortion is necessary to resolve a physical injury or condition that threatens the life of the woman. The provider must document the circumstances giving rise to the exception in the patient's medical file. Furthermore, providers must post signs with this information in their offices or facilities, and HHS must maintain information about reversing medication abortions on its website.

Pregnant Women in Custody Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2023

Pregnant Women in Custody Act This bill establishes requirements to address the health needs of incarcerated women related to pregnancy and childbirth. The bill requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics to collect data on the health needs of incarcerated pregnant women at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels. With respect to incarcerated women at the federal level, the bill requires the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide appropriate services and programs to address the health and safety needs related to pregnancy and childbirth, as well as appropriate health care to a woman with a high-risk pregnancy; limits the use of restrictive housing for prisoners who are pregnant or in postpartum recovery; prohibits the use of solitary confinement for an incarcerated pregnant woman in her third trimester; and requires the BOP to annually report on the number of administrative claims and appeals filed by pregnant inmates. With respect to incarcerated women at the state and local level, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study the services and protections for pregnant incarcerated women in state and local correctional settings.

Public Safety Retirees Healthcare Protection Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

Public Safety Retirees Healthcare Protection Act of 2023 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase from $3,000 to $6,000 the amount excludible from the gross income of public safety officers for distributions from governmental retirement plans for health and long-term care insurance.

SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act This bill allows for payment under the Medicare prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services of certain items and services that are furnished at off-campus outpatient departments. Specifically, the bill allows for payment of items and services for which payments to physician specialists (under the Medicare physician fee schedule) did not exceed $2 million during the previous year.

TRACK Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

Taxpayer Research and Contributions Knowledge Act of 2023 or the TRACK Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to work with other federal entities to compile a public database of federal contracts, tax benefits, and other support for biomedical research and development. HHS must develop the database within one month and update it every two weeks. The bill sets out elements that must be in the database, including (1) the agency or other federal entity providing the support, (2) the entity receiving the support, (3) an itemized accounting of the support provided, (4) any associated clinical trial data, and (5) any medical products that were developed using the support and that are being brought to market.

Eliminate the IPO List Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

Eliminate the IPO List Act This bill prohibits the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from refusing to designate a service as a covered hospital outpatient service under Medicare based solely on its determination that the service can only be safely furnished in an inpatient setting.

Disposable ENDS Product Enforcement Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

Disposable ENDS Product Enforcement Act of 2023 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to update its enforcement guidance regarding Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) products to include certain disposable ENDS products. In April 2020, the FDA published revised guidance on how it intends to prioritize enforcement resources with respect to ENDS products that do not have premarket authorization (i.e., that have not received FDA approval). The guidance specifies that the FDA intends to prioritize enforcement against (1) flavored, cartridge-based ENDS products (except for tobacco or menthol flavored products); (2) other ENDS products for which the manufacturer has not taken adequate measures to prevent access to minors; (3) any ENDS products that are targeted or promoted towards minors; and (4) any ENDS products for which the manufacturer has not submitted an application for market approval or did not receive approval. For purposes of this guidance, cartridge-based ENDS products do not include disposable products that are completely self-contained . The bill requires the FDA to incorporate these products, including nicotine products that are not derived from tobacco, into its enforcement priorities. The bill additionally specifies that the FDA may prioritize enforcement against these products in advance of updating the guidance. The FDA must also annually report on its enforcement actions with respect to these products.

Truth in Healthcare Marketing Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

Truth in Healthcare Marketing Act of 202 3 This bill prohibits a person from misrepresenting (1) whether the person holds a state health care license; or (2) the person's education, training, degree, license, or clinical expertise. A person's advertisement for the person's health care services must disclose the license under which the person is authorized to provide those services. The bill also provides for enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission by requiring a violation of this bill to be treated as an unfair or deceptive act or practice.

Ellie’s Law

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

Ellie Helton, Lisa Colagrossi, Kristen Shafer Englert, Teresa Anne Lawrence, and Jennifer Sedney Focused Research Act or Ellie's Law This bill authorizes appropriations for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to conduct or support research on unruptured brain aneurysms in a patient population diversified by age, sex, and race.

Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act This bill eliminates Medicaid funding limitations for U.S. territories beginning in FY2023.

Kids’ Access to Primary Care Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

Kids' Access to Primary Care Act of 2023 This bill modifies payments for Medicaid primary care services. Specifically, the bill applies a Medicare payment rate floor to Medicaid primary care services that are provided after the date of enactment of the bill and extends the payment rate to additional types of practitioners (e.g., obstetricians). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must conduct a study on the number of children enrolled in Medicaid, the number of providers receiving payment for primary care services, and associated payment rates before and after the bill's implementation.

Maintaining Medicare.

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Medicare should be strengthened and should not be used to finance Democrats' policies.

VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to study the effects of cannabis on veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system and have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or chronic pain (i.e., eligible veterans). First, the bill requires the VA to conduct an observational, 18-month study on the effects of cannabis on the health outcomes of eligible veterans. The VA must report on the study and address whether it is able to meet criteria necessary to conduct clinical trials. Then, if the VA determines that it is able to proceed, it must carry out a series of clinical trials on the effects of cannabis appropriate for investigational use, as determined by the Food and Drug Administration, on the outcomes of eligible veterans. The VA must carry out a long-term observational study of the clinical trial participants. The VA may terminate the trials if it is unable to meet clinical guideline requirements or the trials would create excessive risk to participants. The VA must ensure that the study and trials are representative of the demographics of veterans in the United States, as determined by the most recent data from the American Community Survey of the Bureau of the Census. The study and trials must include mechanisms to ensure data preservation and registration as necessary (in an anonymous form).

Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023

United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023

Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023 This bill establishes and modifies certain requirements relating to Medicare payments for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services. Specifically, the bill (1) requires the payment system for ASC services to feature certain positive annual adjustments equivalent to those made with respect to hospital outpatient department (OPD) services; (2) revises quality reporting requirements to permit publicly available, side-by-side comparisons of quality measures for ASCs and OPDs in the same geographic area; and (3) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), when excluding requested procedures from the list of those approved to be performed in ASCs, to cite specified reasons for doing so. With respect to excluding procedures from the approved list for ASCs, the CMS may not cite as a basis for exclusion that a procedure can only be reported using an unlisted surgical procedure code. (Physicians sometimes use unlisted codes when performing new procedures or services if no existing code is adequately descriptive.) The bill also limits the copayment amount for ASC services under Medicare to that of the inpatient hospital deductible.