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201 records in US in 2006
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Access to Medicare Imaging Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for a two-year moratorium on certain Medicare physician payment reductions for imaging services.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Assisted Suicide Prevention Act of 2006 - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit medical practitioners from using a controlled substance for the purpose of assisting suicide or causing the death of any person. Provides that dispensing, distributing, or administering a controlled substance to alleviate pain or discomfort in the usual course of professional practice consistent with public health and safety is a legitimate medical purpose, even if the use of such substance may increase the risk of death.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act of 2006 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Interagency Working Group to expand and accelerate genetics and genomics research and translate such research into clinical and public health applications; (2) expand and accelerate research and programs to collect genetic and genomic data that will advance the field of genomics and personalized medicine; (3) develop a plan for a national biobanking research initiative; (4) expand efforts to increase knowledge about the interaction between genetics and the environment and about ways in which molecular genetic screening, diagnostics, and treatments may be used to improve the health and health care of racial and ethnic minority populations; (5) increase recruitment and retention of trainees in genetics and genomics; (6) ensure the adequacy of genetics and genomics training for diagnosis, treatment, and counseling of adults and children for both rare and common disorders; (7) improve the safety, efficacy, and availability of information about genetic tests; and (8) improve the oversight and regulation of genetic tests. Provides for the recruitment of health professionals from diverse backgrounds in the genomics workforce and improvement in the quality of genomics training. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish a tax credit for qualified research expenses for the development of a qualified companion diagnostic test designed to provide information to increase the safety or effectiveness of a drug. Provides for the expansion of adverse event reporting systems to encompass reports of adverse events resulting from genetic testing.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Enhancing Drug Safety and Innovation Act of 2006 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require an application for approval for a new drug or biological product to include a proposed risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, which must include: (1) labeling for the drug for use by health care providers; (2) submission of reports for the drug; and (3) a statement as to whether the analysis and surveillance are sufficient to assess the serious risks of the drug. Establishes within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the Reagan-Udall Institute for Applied Biomedical Research to advance the Critical Path Initiative to modernize medical product development, accelerate innovation, and enhance product safety. Requires the Institute to have a Board of Directors. Allows the Board to establish one or more Critical Path Institutes to conduct research, education, and outreach and to modernize the sciences of developing, manufacturing, and evaluating the safety and effectiveness of diagnostics, devices, biologics, and drugs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to establish and administer a clinical trial registry database and a clinical trial results database. Requires a responsible part for a clinical trial to submit clinical trial information to the Director for inclusion in the databases. Requires a member of a panel advising or recommending to the Secretary regarding FDA activities to disclose any financial involvements that the member may have. Directs the Secretary to recuse members with a high magnitude of financial involvement.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as added by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 and as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000, to add health insuring organizations operated by public entities established by Ventura and Merced Counties, California, to the number of county-organized health insuring organizations in California authorized to enroll Medicaid beneficiaries under title XIX of the Social Security Act. Increases from 14% to 16% the maximum percentage of California Medicaid beneficiaries which may be enrolled with such organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Community Health Center Employee Health Coverage Act of 2006 - Expands the definition of "employee" for purposes of the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program to include an individual who is an employee of a federally qualified heath center, or a grantee providing technical or other assistance to such a center, that has elected to offer FEHB coverage. Requires such an employee to pay both the employee and agency contributions and administrative expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Tax Relief and Minimum Wage Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2007 various provisions relating to business investment and economic development, education, research, health care, environmental remediation, and investment in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa. Revises the system of tax incentives for investment in New York Liberty Zone property. Modifies tax administration provisions relating to awards for whistleblowers, frivolous tax filings, authority of the Internal Revenue Service to disclose tax return information, and refund rules for aviation kerosene. Authorizes the issuance of tax-exempt zone academy bonds and rural renaissance bonds. Allows expensing of mine safety equipment and a tax credit for mine rescue team training costs. Allows a taxpayer election to deduct certain gain from timber sales. Suspends until 2008 the disallowance of the tax deduction for business travel expenses of a spouse. Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage rate. Applies such increased wage rate to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act Amendments of 2006 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to: (1) reauthorize the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund (AMR Fund) through FY2021; (2) reduce rates of reclamation fees payable by mine operators to the AMR Fund; and (3) revise allocations of payments to states for reclamation of abandoned mines. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to liability of mine operators for payment of health care premiums of retired miners.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Strengthening the Safety Act of 2006 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide for the redistribution and extended availability of unexpended Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award demonstration grants to health access networks to improve access, quality, and continuity of care for uninsured individuals through better coordination of care.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Designates September 2006 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that it is critical to: (1) raise awareness about prostate cancer screening and treatment; (2) increase funding for prostate cancer research; and (3) improve access to and the quality of health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2006
Expresses support for: (1) National Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness Week; and (2) efforts to educate people about the disease, the consequences if it is not diagnosed and treated, and the need to seek appropriate care as a serious public health issue. Acknowledges the critical importance of peripheral arterial disease awareness to improve national cardiovascular health.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2006
African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2006 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance, including through international or nongovernmental organizations, for programs to improve human health care capacity in sub-Saharan Africa. Directs the President to develop and transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for coordinating, implementing, and monitoring assistance programs for human health care capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2006
State-Based Health Care Reform Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Health Care Reform Task Force to: (1) approve state, local, or tribal applications for a health care reform grant; and (2) establish minimum performance measures with respect to coverage, quality, and cost of state health care programs. Requires states seeking a grant to submit to the Task Force a state health care plan that: (1) designates the lead state entity that will be responsible for administering the program; (2) contains a list of the minimum benefits that will be provided to all individuals covered under the state program; (3) includes specific target dates for decreasing the number of uninsured individuals in the state; (4) describes how the state will ensure that an increased number of individuals residing within the state will have expanded access to health care coverage; (5) describes the minimum benefits package that will be provided to every beneficiary; (6) includes provisions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of health care in the state; and (7) complies with premium and cost sharing limitations. Requires the Secretary to provide a matching grant to a state with an approved application to enable the state to carry out the state health program. Authorizes appropriations for the grant program and specifies offsetting savings and fee provisions. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to carry out a Student Aid Reward Program to encourage institutions of higher education to participate in the student loan program under such Act that is most cost-effective for taxpayers.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2006
Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2007-FY2011 for health centers to meet the health care needs of medically underserved populations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2006
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a five-year pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of awarding grants to eligible entities to assist members of the Armed Forces, particularly those with serious wounds, injuries, or mental disorders, women members, and members of the National Guard and reserves, in applying for and receiving health care benefits and services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and otherwise after completion of military service, in order to ensure that such members receive a continuity of care and assistance in and after the transition from military service to civilian life. Requires at least one location of the pilot program to be in the vicinity of: (1) a military medical facility that treats members who are seriously wounded or injured in Afghanistan or Iraq; (2) a VA medical center located in a rural area; and (3) a VA medical center located in an urban area.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2006
Payment Accuracy Improvement Act of 2006 - Declares that, for payments to hospitals under under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for discharges occurring during FY2006-FY2007, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may not apply an occupational mix adjustment to more than 10% of the Medicare hospital area wage index. Requires the Secretary, when applying such an occupational mix adjustment, to use only the data that was to be used to make the adjustment to such wage index under the proposed rule published by the Secretary in the Federal Register on April 25, 2006.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2006
Medicare Part D Coverage Gap Elimination Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the coverage gap under the Medicare part D prescription drug program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Designates September 20, 2006, as National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day. Recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a major public health concern. Encourages Americans to find out more about ADHD, support ADHD mental health services, and seek treatment and support. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the government has a responsibility to: (1) raise awareness about ADHD; and (2) consider ways to improve mental health services for children and adults with ADHD.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
HIT for Small Business Health Care Providers Act of 2006 - Instructs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure that a portion of certain loan amounts secured by the SBA under the Microloan program and under the 504 loan program (which finances small business concerns through loan guarantees under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958), respectively, are secured by certain guarantees. Includes among the guarantee requirements that: (1) the purpose of the guarantee is to help a small business acquire capital for the purchase of materials relating to health information technology; and (2) purchase of materials is made pursuant to a plan certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology. Requires the SBA Inspector General to review periodically a representative sample of such guaranteed loans in order to mitigate fraud and to ensure the safety and soundness of the program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
War on Terror Wounded Heroes' Bill of Rights Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense to provide prompt emergency cash assistance to a member of the Armed Forces or a veteran who, on or after September 11, 2001, was or is severely wounded or injured while serving on active duty in combat operations of Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom (each such individual to be known as a War on Terror Wounded Hero) and, due to such injury and subsequent medical treatment, is undergoing significant financial difficulty. Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to ensure the provision of sufficient services to meet the needs of all War on Terror Wounded Heroes without regard to residential geographic location with respect to the following medical services: (1) adult day health care; (2) home health care; (3) respite care; (4) home-based primary care; (5) hospice; and (6) such other noninstitutional extended care services as appropriate. Directs the Secretary to operate and maintain a voluntary program in caregiver education, training, and certification for family members of War on Terror Wounded Heroes. Authorizes the Secretary to contract with non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities to furnish care to War on Terror Wounded Heroes, under certain conditions. Requires review by the Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense Joint Executive Committee of the emergency cash assistance, medical services, and caregiver support programs established under this Act. Provides a business tax credit for employers hiring War on Terror Wounded Heroes.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Estate Tax and Extension of Tax Relief of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to restore the unified estate and gift tax exclusion after 2009, phase in an increase of such exclusion to $5 million in 2015, and lower the estate tax rate. Extends through 2007 various tax provisions relating to business investment and economic development, education, research, health care, environmental remediation, and investment in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa. Revises the system of tax incentives for investment in New York Liberty Zone property. Modifies tax administration provisions relating to awards for whistleblowers, frivolous tax filings, authority of the Internal Revenue Service to disclose tax return information, and refund rules for aviation kerosene. Authorizes the issuance of tax-exempt zone academy bonds and rural renaissance bonds. Allows expensing of mine safety equipment and a tax credit for mine rescue team training costs. Allows a taxpayer election to deduct certain gain from timber sales. Suspends until 2008 the disallowance of the tax deduction for business travel expenses of a spouse. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act Amendments of 2006 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to: (1) reauthorize the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund (AMR Fund) through FY2021; (2) reduce rates of reclamation fees payable by mine operators to the AMR Fund; and (3) revise allocations of payments to states for reclamation of abandoned mines. Amends the Internal Revenue Code with respect to liability of mine operators for payment of health care premiums of retired miners. Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage rate.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
America's Commitment to Veterans Act - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer funds appropriated for FY2007 for the Legal Services Corporation and for family planning programs under the Public Health Service Act to the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans' medical services.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Lower Prices Reduced with Increased Competition and Efficient Development of Drugs Act or the Lower PRICED Drugs Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require an abbreviated application for a new drug containing certain antibiotics, the approved labeling for which includes a method of use that is claimed by a patent, to include a statement: (1) that identifies the relevant patent and the approved use covered by the patent; and (2) that the applicant is not seeking approval of such use. Requires the court to consider the totality of circumstances and the public interest in deciding whether to shorten the 30-month period that delays the approval of an abbreviated drug application when a patent infringement case is filed against the applicant. Limits market exclusivity provided for conducting pediatric studies of new or already approved drugs to only those drugs for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services approves labeling that provides specific, therapeutically meaningful information about the use of the drug in pediatric patients. Sets forth provisions governing petitions seeking any action relating to the approval of certain new drug or abbreviated new drug applications, including the delay of such approval. Allows the Secretary to approve a petition to delay approval only when necessary to protect the public health. Requires the Secretary to take final agency action on a petition within 180 days of receipt, with no extensions allowed. Extends the 30-month period that the Secretary has to approve or disapprove an abbreviated application for a new drug by the amount of time that lapses from the date the Secretary receives a petition and the date of the final agency action on the petition, without regard to whether the Secretary grants or denies the petition.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Prescription Drug Comparative Effectiveness Act of 2006 - Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to conduct or support reviews of existing evidence and research to develop evidence regarding comparative clinical effectiveness, outcomes, and appropriateness of prescription drugs, medical devices, and procedures. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a coordinated plan for research on methods for measuring and comparing adverse events associated with pharmaceuticals and other medical and surgical treatments so that clinicians and patients can evaluate the comparative safety and clinical effectiveness of the alternative treatment options. Provides for information developed from such reviews to be made available to practitioners and patients.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Medicare Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct an additional site inspection for each applicable items or services provider that applies for a provider number. Sets forth rules for the Secretary to conduct a background check on any individual or entity that applies for a Medicare provider number. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for the registration of all applicant billing agencies. Requires the Secretary to assign a unique identification number to each registered agency, which must appear on every claim for Medicare reimbursement. Amends: (1) SSA title XI to allow the Secretary to exclude from participation in any federal health care program any billing agency that knowingly submitted or caused to be submitted a claim for Medicare reimbursement that it knows or should know is false or fraudulent; (2) SSA title XVIII with respect to reimbursements to the Secretary for amounts paid to excluded providers; (3) SSA titles XI and XVIII to deny a discharge in bankruptcy to civil monetary penalties for fraudulent activities by a health care provider or supplier, overpayments to service providers under Medicare part A and of benefits under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), and past-due obligations arising from breach of scholarship and loan contract; (4) SSA title XI to prescribe a criminal penalty for illegal distribution of a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary identification or provider number; and (5) the federal criminal code to provide for the treatment of acts involving federal health care programs described under SSA title XI as federal health care offenses. Authorizes any criminal investigator of the Office of Inspector General of HHS, upon proper designation, to: (1) obtain and execute any warrant or other process issued under the authority of the United States; (2) make an arrest without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in the presence of such investigator, or any federal felony if such investigator has reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing that felony; and (3) exercise any other authority necessary to carry out such authority. Requires all claims forms developed or used by the Secretary for reimbursement under Medicare to accommodate the use of universal product numbers (UPNs, or bar codes) for a UPN covered item, and all claims for such an item to contain the UPN.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit a holder of a new, approved drug application from manufacturing, marketing, selling, or distributing a generic version of such drug during any exclusivity period granted to manufacturers of generic brands.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Medicare Independent Living Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the in-the-home restriction for Medicare coverage of mobility devices for individuals with expected long-term needs. Deems such devices to be durable medical equipment (DME) if they are used in customary settings for the purpose of normal domestic, vocational, or community activities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Pharmaceutical Benefit Manager Abuse Prevention Act of 2006 - Prohibits a pharmaceutical benefit manager from: (1) referring a patient to a pharmacy or other dispenser of pharmaceuticals that is owned or affiliated with the manager; or (2) changing the drug authorization for a patient without the patient's express consent and without informing the patient of the financial consequences. Requires each pharmaceutical benefit manger to publicly disclose any kickbacks or other financial incentives or any relationship with any pharmaceutical manager. Provides for civil penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Prescription Coverage Now Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Service to provide for an expedited process for the qualification for low-income assistance through a request to the Secretary of the Treasury for tax return and other information sufficient to identify: (1) whether the individual involved is likely eligible for subsidies; and (2) the amount of premium and cost-sharing subsidies for which they would qualify based on such information. Increases the maximum permissible resource level for subsidy eligibility. Waives the late enrollment penalty for subsidy-eligible individuals for the first 24 months of non-enrollment.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide payment under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) on a reasonable cost basis for anesthesia services furnished by a physician who is an anesthesiologist in certain rural hospitals in the same manner as payment is made for anesthesia services furnished by a certified registered nurse anesthetists in such hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in the case of a sole acute care critical access hospital serving a rural underserved area that is a Hurricane Katrina disaster area, to: (1) waive any recoupment or recovery of certain alleged Medicare overpayments in order to permit the facility's continued provision of critical services to its Medicare and underserved populations; and (2) impose no sanction against the facility in connection with any related cost report filing.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Director of the National Institutes of Health should: (1) be commended for working with leading scientists and researchers to organize the first National Institutes of Health conference on hydrocephalus; and (2) continue the current collaboration among specified entities with respect to such condition. Calls for increased: (1) funding for hydrocephalus research; and (2) public awareness and professional education regarding hydrocephalus through federal government and patient advocacy organization partnerships.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2006
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness Week; and (2) raising awareness of the consequences of undiagnosed and untreated peripheral arterial disease and the need to seek appropriate care as a serious public health issue. Acknowledges the critical importance of peripheral arterial disease awareness to improve national cardiovascular health.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Tax Equity and Affordability Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow individual taxpayers a refundable tax credit for health insurance costs paid for the benefit of the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, and dependents; (2) require business taxpayers who receive payments for certain employee health insurance coverage to file informational returns; (3) direct the Secretary of the Treasury to make advance payments of health insurance tax credit amounts to health insurance providers; and (4) limit the tax exclusion for employer-provided health care coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers eligible for the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities a tax credit for 10% of the health care expenses of retired employee between age 55 and 66 who are not Medicare-eligible. Terminates such tax credit after 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Medicare Early Access Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to add a new part E (Purchase of Medicare Benefits by Certain Individuals 55 to 65 Years of Age). Provides access to Medicare benefits for individuals 55 to 64 years of age who do not have coverage under a federal health insurance program or under a group plan. Requires enrollees to pay a premium to receive Medicare coverage. Requires the Secretary to base the premium on the Secretary's estimate of the average, national annual per capita amount of the cost of providing services to the population. Allows early retirees with access to retiree coverage to enroll under this part while keeping their federal or state COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) continuation coverage. Allows an employer that offers employment-based retiree health coverage to an individual who enrolls under this part to modify such coverage to provide for: (1) employer payment of items and services for which payment may not be made under Medicare; and (2) employer payment of 25% of the monthly premium applicable to the individual after enrollment. Creates in the Treasury the Medicare Early Access Trust Fund to hold the premiums collected under this Act and to support the new program. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow program enrollees to receive a 75% advance, refundable credit to offset Medicare early access premium costs (thus requiring program enrollees in the Medicare early access program to be responsible for 25% of the monthly premiums).
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Expresses support for: (1) the goals and ideals of National Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness Week; and (2) raising awareness of the consequences of undiagnosed and untreated peripheral arterial disease and the need to seek appropriate care as a serious public health issue. Acknowledges the critical importance of peripheral arterial disease awareness to improve national cardiovascular health.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention America Act or the HeLP America Act - Sets forth provisions regarding healthy eating in schools, including: (1) limiting foods of minimal nutritional value sold in schools; and (2) providing for healthy school nutrition environment incentive grants. Healthy Workforce Act of 2006 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to: (1) allow a wellness program credit for employers; (2) remove the reduction in the highest tax rate applicable for taxable years after 2000; and (3) exclude from an employee's income the fees paid by an employer to an athletic or fitness facility on the employee's behalf. Provides for grants to promote individual and community health and to prevent the incidence of chronic disease. Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) regulate tobacco products (through the Food and Drug Administration); and (2) establish the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Sets forth tobacco product standards and registration, recordkeeping, reporting, manufacturer and importer user fee, labeling, advertising, and marketing requirements. Requires vending machines and certain restaurants to provide nutritional information about each food offered, including the number of calories. Amends the Social Security Act to provide coverage for certain counseling and screening services. Requires the Secretary to encourage a state program to utilize school-based health centers to deliver primary care to children eligible for federal medical assistance. Establishes the HeLP (Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention) America Trust Fund to fund smoking cessation efforts and other efforts required by this Act. Requires the Secretary to conduct research on obesity prevention, treatment, and control.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Stop Obesity in Schools Act of 2006 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national strategy to reduce childhood obesity that: (1) provides for the reduction of childhood obesity rates by 10% by the year 2010; (2) addresses solutions to reducing the rates of childhood obesity; (3) identifies how the federal government can work effectively with entities to implement the strategy; and (4) includes measures to identify and overcome all obstacles to achieving the goal of reducing childhood obesity. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to: (1) make grants to local educational agencies to reduce childhood obesity by adopting wellness policies and anti-obesity initiatives; (2) arrange for the evaluation of a wide variety of existing programs designed to prevent obesity in children and adolescents in order to identify factors contributing to program effectiveness; and (3) make grants on a competitive basis to state governments, local governments, and consortia of local governments to reduce childhood obesity through establishing or expanding healthy living and wellness coordinating councils and supporting regional workshops.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Prescription Drug Benefit Equity Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code, titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) to require a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage, that provide for mail-order prescription drug coverage also to provide non-mail-order prescription drug coverage. Applies such requirement to coverage offered in the individual market in the same manner as it applies to coverage offered in the small or large group market.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Comprehensive Comparative Study of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Populations Act of 2006 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, to conduct or support a comprehensive study to: (1) compare total health outcomes, including risk of autism, in vaccinated, U.S. populations with such outcomes in unvaccinated, U.S. populations; and (2) determine whether vaccines or vaccine components play a role in the development of autism spectrum or other neurological conditions. Requires the Secretary to include in the study U.S. populations that have traditionally remained unvaccinated for religious or other reasons, members of clinical practices who choose alternative medical practices, and practitioners of anthroposophic lifestyles.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Prescription Privacy Protection Act of 2006 - Amends title XI of the Social Security Act to prohibit a drug manufacturer from, directly or indirectly, using prescriber identifiable health information for commercial purposes. Establishes a penalty for violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Bodegas as Catalysts for Healthy Living Act - Directs the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to make grants to local organizations that represent small business concerns and local redevelopment agencies to assist: (1) independently owned and operated small businesses, such as bodegas and corner stores, in expanding their inventories to include fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy alternatives (as defined by the Department of Agriculture); and (2) community-based organizations, such as community health centers, in carrying out consumer outreach and education programs to encourage the purchase of fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy alternatives and to inform communities about health risks and the benefits of healthy living. Requires small businesses and community-based organizations to collaborate in carrying out the purposes of this Act. Limits grant amounts to $100,000. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to cover additional primary and preventive services relating to obesity treatment and prevention, supervised exercise sessions, stress testing, lifestyle modification education, and nutrition education.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Swift Approval, Full Evaluation Drug Act or the SAFE Drug Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, upon receipt of evidence regarding the safety or lack of effectiveness of an approved drug, to order studies of such drug (postmarket studies) and place restrictions on the distribution or use of such drug during such studies; (2) require postmarket studies as a condition of approval of a new drug; (3) impose civil penalties for distributing misbranded or adulterated drugs or for failing to compete a required postmarket study; (4) label a drug misbranded if a drug manufacturer fails to make required postmarket labeling changes; (5) grant officers and employees of the Food and Drug Administration the right to publish or present data unless such data is subject to federal export control or national security laws or is proprietary information; and (6) require the Secretary to submit biennial reports to Congress on approved drug applications supported by non-inferiority studies and on postmarket studies. Extends protections to individuals (whistleblowers) who provide information of illegal activity to government officials.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Patient's Access to Physicians Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, to provide for an increase in the minimum updates for payments for physicians' services under the Medicare program for 2007 and 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Medicare Residency Program Fairness Act of 2006 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to payments to hospitals for the direct graduate medical education (DGME) costs of inpatient hospital services, particularly the redistribution among qualifying hospitals of unused resident positions which figure in the calculation of DGME costs. Requires a specified adjustment to the reduction of Medicare resident positions for rural and small urban hospitals, where that reduction was based on a cost report subsequently settled, whether as a result of an appeal or otherwise, if the reference resident level under such settled cost report is higher than the resident level used for the reduction.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Requires congressional approval for implementation of a severity-adjusted inpatient prospective payment system (PPS) for rural hospitals under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that programs should be established to: (1) increase public awareness about the prevalence and devastating consequences of vision disorders in children; and (2) educate the public and health care providers about the warning signs and symptoms of ocular and vision disorders, the benefits of early detection, evaluation, and treatment, and the importance of early and regular vision screening and comprehensive eye exams.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2006
Declares that Congress: (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Celiac Awareness Month; (2) should work with health care providers and celiac disease advocacy and education organizations to encourage screening and early detection of celiac disease; and (3) should increase federal funding for celiac disease research.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2006
Screening for Health of Infants and Newborns Act or the SHINE Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop guidelines that states may follow in reporting data from newborn screening tests. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to develop guidelines to: (1) monitor and evaluate newborn screening activities; and (2) coordinate the results of surveillance activities. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC and the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, to develop a surveillance system for newborn screening. Directs the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders and Genetic Diseases in Newborns and Children to advise the Secretary on the guidelines and on monitoring and evaluating newborn screening and surveillance activities. Requires the Secretary to: (1) direct the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of HRSA to establish a central clearinghouse of current education and family support and services information, materials, resources, research, and data on newborn screening; (2) award grants for demonstration projects that increase state capacity to screen for all of the core conditions; (3) award Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening grants for demonstration projects that develop screening tests for additional newborn conditions or develop multiple markers to increase the specificity of such tests; and (4) appoint an Interagency Grant Review Panel to select grant applications and provide oversight on the grant program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2006
Consortium on the Impact of Technology in Aging Health Services Act of 2006 - Establishes the Consortium on the Impact of Technology in Aging Health Services. Requires the Consortium to conduct a study of all matters relating to the potential use of new technology to assist older adults and their caregivers, including: (1) methods for identifying technology that may be adapted to meet their needs; (2) methods for fostering scientific innovation in aging services technology within the business and academic communities; (3) barriers to innovation in and the adoption of technology and strategies for removing such barriers; (4) developments in such technology in other countries; and (5) methods for ensuring that U.S. businesses have a leadership role in the global market of such technology. Requires the Consortium to develop recommendations concerning: (1) developments in current technologies that may result in increased efficiency and cost savings to the healthcare system; (2) opportunities for research and development to accelerate the development and adoption of aging services technology; (3) methods to ensure that technology infrastructure is in place to deliver services; and (4) establishment of a federal interagency task force to facilitate the development and distribution of such technology and a National Resource Center to stimulate research, oversee demonstration projects, and provide training and assistance to entities that provide such services. Requires the Consortium to report recommendations regarding development of a national policy to address issues concerning technology and assistive health services for seniors, changes to federal laws and programs that would support and encourage the private sector to develop and make widely available consumer-empowered technology solutions, and establishment of a National Resource Center on Aging Services Technologies.