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Bill· SS. 1217 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Elder Fall Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Administration on Aging within the Department of Health and Human Services to: (1) oversee and support a three-year national education campaign by the National Safety Council focusing on ways to reduce the risk of elder falls and prevent repeat falls; and (2) provide grants for State coalitions for local education campaigns addressing reduction and prevention of elder falls. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) conduct and support research concerning various topics, including: high-risk elders, risk and protective factors, fall reduction strategies, fall prevention interventions, diagnosis and treatment of victims, barriers to adopting proven interventions, and the effectiveness of community programs in preventing assisted living and nursing home falls; (2) support the development of ways to reduce falls among very high risk elders; and (3) award grants to enable organizations to provide professional education for physicians and health professionals in elder fall prevention. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to oversee and support demonstration and research projects to be carried out by the Council and other qualified organizations in the following areas: (1) a multi-State demonstration project assessing the utility of targeted fall risk screening and referral programs; (2) programs designed for community-dwelling elderly; (3) programs targeting newly-discharged fall victims at high risk for second falls; and (4) private-public partnerships to develop technologies to prevent falls and prevent or reduce injuries from falls. Requires the Secretary to provide grants to design and implement fall prevention programs in residential and institutional settings and to provide one or more grants for a multi-State demonstration project to implement and evaluate fall prevention programs. Directs the Secretary to review the effects of falls on the costs of the Medicare and Medicaid Programs and the potential for reducing costs by expanding covered services. States that such review shall include a review of reimbursement policies.
Bill· SS. 1206 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Beneficiary Access to Care Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services (OPD) to: (1) require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to treat as a separate group of covered OPD services any drug or biological that was treated as such a group as of December 31, 2002, and any drug or biological that has ceased to be eligible for transitional, pass-through payments by reason of the limited period of payment specified; and (2) add special rules for 2004 for the calculation of Medicare OPD fee schedule amounts, among other payment-related changes. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on pharmacy services used to provide cancer drug therapies in hospital outpatient setting.
Bill· HRH.R. 2393 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2003
Continued Benefits for Injured Military Spouses Act - Entitles to military health care and commissary and exchange benefits the unremarried former spouse of a member of the armed forces who performed at least 20 years of service creditable for retired pay if such spouse: (1) had been married to such member for at least 20 years on the date of divorce or annullment, of which at least ten years were during the period when the member was performing such service; and (2) sought a divorce or annullment due in whole or part to domestic violence involving that person or a child of that person that is substantiated by counseling or medical records, or to other circumstances that constitute unbearable conditions.
Law· SS. 1194 (108th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2003 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to award non-renewable grants to eligible applicants to prepare a comprehensive plan for and implement an adult or juvenile collaboration program, which targets adults or juveniles with mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders in order to promote public safety and public health. Directs that grants be used to create or expand: (1) mental health courts or other court-based programs for preliminarily qualified offenders; (2) programs that offer specialized training to the officers and employees of a criminal or juvenile justice agency and mental health personnel in procedures for identifying the symptoms of mental illness; (3) programs that support cooperative efforts by criminal, juvenile justice, and mental health agencies to promote public safety by offering mental health and substance abuse treatment services; and (4) programs that support intergovernmental cooperation between State and local governments with respect to the mentally ill offender.. Requires the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) develop a procedure under which applicants may apply simultaneously for a planning grant and an implementation grant; and (2) establish an interagency task force to identify policies which hinder or facilitate local collaborative initiatives. Directs the Attorney General to develop a list of best practices for appropriate diversion from incarceration of adult and juvenile offenders.
Bill· SS. 1197 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards to assure the safety and accuracy of medical imaging or radiation therapy. States that such standards shall include licensure or certification, accreditation, and other requirements determined by the Secretary. Exempts the standards from applying to physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Requires individuals prior to performing or preparing such imaging or therapy to have successfully completed a national exam approved by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to certify private nonprofit organizations or State agencies as approved bodies with respect to the accreditation of educational programs or the administration of examinations if such organizations or agencies meet certain standards and give certain assurances. Allows the Secretary to withdraw approval from an approved body. Permits the Secretary to develop alternative standards for rural areas if such action is needed to assure access to quality medical imaging.
Bill· SS. 1195 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Safety Net Hospital Pharmacy Access Act of 2003 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to exclude inpatient prices charged to certain high-volume disproportionate share hospital (DSH) safety net providers from the Medicaid "best price" rule. (Thus allows such providers to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to receive deeper discounts on the prices of inpatient drugs. Currently such entities are able to receive discounts only on outpatient drugs because of a specified Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services interpretation of the "best price" exemption under the Medicaid drug rebate program.) Applies to any such drug purchased for inpatient use certain auditing and recordkeeping requirements under the Public Health Service Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 2363 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Right Start Act of 2003 - Extends and increases authorizations of appropriations for: (1) the Head Start Act; (2) State entitlements to funding for child care, under Social Security Act (SSA) provisions for block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF); and (3) services to low-income families through the social services block grant under SSA. Increases set-aside portion of funds for child care quality under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990. Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act - IMPACT Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to address issues of overweight and obesity. Expands certain existing grant programs for health professional training to include the treatment of overweight and obesity. Creates grant programs at the local level to promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition. Expands an existing coordinated school health program to include grants for the development of programs which focus on healthy lifestyle, including balanced diet and physical activity. Authorizes the collection and analysis of data concerning the fitness levels of children and youth. Requires a study of the food and nutrition assistance programs run by the Department of Agriculture to determine how they can be improved or altered to help prevent obesity and overweight. Requires an evidence report study on the effectiveness of weight reduction programs. Permits the use of preventive health and health services block grants for community education programs which promote healthy eating and exercise habits. Creates a Medicare demonstration project to reduce obesity and other chronic disease risks in older Americans. Makes grants available to local healthcare delivery systems for overweight and obesity treatment and prevention demonstration programs. Provides grants and contracts for a national youth media campaign to change children's health behaviors. Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act - Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Insurance Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to a State or local government to pay for the Federal share of the cost of carrying out projects that assist families by providing wage replacement for eligible individuals responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Family and Medical Leave Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to extend coverage to employees at worksites where the employer employs at least 25 (currently 50) employees at the worksite and within 75 miles of that worksite. Amends FMLA and Federal civil service law to entitle to leave those employees who must address the effects of domestic violence. Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2003 - Permits the Office of Personnel Management to contract with one or more employing agencies to conduct a demonstration project that provides paid leave for eligible individuals who are responding to caregiving needs resulting from the birth or adoption of a son or daughter or other family caregiving needs. Requires the leave to last for at least six weeks during a 12-month period. Time for Schools Act of 2003 - Amends FMLA to allow employees covered by such Act to take up to 24 hours, during any 12-month period, of school involvement leave to participate in: (1) an academic activity of their child's school, such as a parent-teacher conference or an interview for a school; or (2) literacy training under a family literacy program. Amends Federal civil service law to provide the same school involvement leave allowance for Federal employees.
Bill· HRH.R. 2352 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Requires (current law authorizes) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hospital and nursing home care and medical services, on the same basis as provided to veterans, to a Commonwealth Army veteran or new Philippine Scout who resides in the United States as a citizen or lawfully admitted alien, provided that the Secretary first certifies that sufficient resources are available at the facilities at which the majority of such veterans or Scouts would receive such care and services.
Bill· HRH.R. 2349 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out: (1) construction of a new bed tower to consolidate two inpatient sites of care in inner city Chicago; (2) construction in Clark County, Nevada, of a facility for a multispecialty outpatient clinic to replace the leased Las Vegas ambulatory care center and for a satellite office for the Veterans Benefits Administration; (3) seismic corrections to strengthen Medical Center Building 1 of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system in San Diego, California; and (4) renovation of all inpatient care wards and establishment of a consolidated medical research facility at the Department's West Haven, Connecticut, facility. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a lease for an outpatient clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prohibits funds available to the Secretary from being used for disposal of the Lakeside Division facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities in Chicago, Illinois, until the Secretary has entered into a contract to construct a new bed tower at the Department's West Side Medical Center in Chicago.
Bill· HRH.R. 2357 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Establishes a standard for access to care for veterans seeking care from the Department of Veterans Affairs of 30 days from the date the veteran contacts the Department seeking an appointment until the date on which a visit with a primary care provider is completed, or 30 days from the date on which the veteran is referred for specialty care until that date on which a visit with an appropriate specialty care provider is completed. Directs the Secretary to develop and disseminate an appropriate standard of waiting time between the time a veteran's visit is scheduled and the time the veteran is seen by the provider. Requires periodic review of the performance of Department facilities compared to that standard. Requires the Secretary, when unable to meet the standard for access to care, to furnish health care and services for that veteran in a non-Department facility.
Bill· HRH.R. 2387 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2003 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to award non-renewable grants to eligible applicants to prepare a comprehensive plan for and implement an adult or juvenile collaboration program, which targets adults or juveniles with mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders in order to promote public safety and public health. Directs that grants be used to create or expand: (1) mental health courts or other court-based programs for preliminarily qualified offenders; (2) programs that offer specialized training to the officers and employees of a criminal or juvenile justice agency and mental health personnel in procedures for identifying the symptoms of mental illness; (3) programs that support cooperative efforts by criminal, juvenile justice, and mental health agencies to promote public safety by offering mental health and substance abuse treatment services; and (4) programs that support intergovernmental cooperation between State and local governments with respect to the mentally ill offender.. Requires the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) develop a procedure under which applicants may apply simultaneously for a planning grant and an implementation grant; and (2) establish an interagency task force to identify policies which hinder or facilitate local collaborative initiatives. Directs the Attorney General to develop a list of best practices for appropriate diversion from incarceration of adult and juvenile offenders.
Bill· HRH.R. 2370 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
National Resilience Development Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene and lead an interagency task force for the purposes of mitigating distress reactions and maladaptive behaviors in Americans and increasing their psychological resilience in preparation for, and in response to, a conventional, biological, chemical, or radiological attack on the United States. Directs the task force to coordinate and facilitate the efforts of various public bodies to develop programs and protocols to achieve such purposes. Amends the Act and the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA Patriot Act) of 2001 to permit certain grants to go to activities aimed at enabling State mental health authorities, in coordination with State public health authorities and the interagency task force, to better understand and manage human emotional, behavioral, and cognitive responses to disasters. States that such efforts shall include increasing the psychological resilience of the public and mitigating distress reactions and maladaptive behaviors that could occur in response to an attack. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to integrate into each of its functions of mitigation, planning, response, and recovery, efforts to increase communities' psychological resilience and decrease distress reactions and maladaptive behaviors in individuals. Directs that FEMA take such measures in coordination with the interagency task force and other efforts by the Department of Homeland Security.
Bill· HRH.R. 2389 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Physician Availability Act of 2003 - Requires each non-Federal hospital with a specified participation agreement under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, participating under title XIX (Medicaid) of such Act, or receiving Federal funds, and with at least 100 licensed beds, to have a qualified physician available in the hospital (other than in the emergency department) 24 hours a day, seven days a week to attend to the hospital's inpatients. Provides for enforcement, including through civil penalties and suspension or disqualification from Medicare or Medicaid.
Bill· HRH.R. 2361 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
The TRICARE Retirees Opportunity Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) waive the part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) late enrollment penalty for certain military retirees who enroll by December 31, 2004; and (2) provide a special part B enrollment period for such retirees.
Bill· HRH.R. 2385 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to revise formulas for allotment of funds to States for centers for independent living.
Bill· HRH.R. 2356 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2003
Prescription Drug Comparative Effectiveness Act of 2003 - Directs the Director of the National Institutes of Health, in coordination with the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to conduct research to develop valid scientific evidence regarding the comparative effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and (where appropriate) comparative safety relative to other drugs and treatments for the same disease or condition, of prescription drugs that account for high levels of expenditures or use by individuals in Federally funded health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Directs the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to: (1) analyze such evidence; and (2) develop standards for the design and conduct of cost-effectiveness studies under this Act. Establishes reporting requirements.
Bill· SS. 1179 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Medicare Chronic Care Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from requiring the payment of deductibles and coinsurance for certain existing preventive benefits under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to study and report to the President on current literature and best practices in the field of health promotion and disease prevention among Medicare beneficiaries, including specified issues. Requires the Institute to develop recommendations in legislative form that prioritize Medicare preventive health benefits and modify them, adding new ones based on such study. Authorizes the Secretary by regulation to adopt any or all of such recommendations. Applies the elimination of cost-sharing for preventive benefits under this Act to any Medicare furnished items and services incorporated by such regulation. Provides for: (1) Medicare coverage of an initial preventive physical examination and care coordination and assessment services furnished by a care coordinator as a Medicare part B medical service; and (2) care coordination and assessment services and quality improvement program in Medicare+Choice plans under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice). Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to enable them to develop, implement, or train personnel in the use of standardized clinical information technology systems designed to: (1) improve the coordination and quality of care furnished to Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions; and (2) increase administrative efficiencies of such entities. Directs the Secretary to: (1) review appropriate regulations, policies, and procedures, including those of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMS), with respect to determinations of whether an item or service is reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury for purposes of payment under Medicare; and (2) take appropriate corrective measures to ensure that the proper standard for making such determinations is applied, if it is found that CMMS, a fiscal intermediary, or a carrier has misapplied the coverage standard by requiring that the item or service improve the condition of the patient with respect to such illness or injury. Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study and report to the Secretary and Congress on factors of the Medicare program that facilitate or impede effective care for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions.
Bill· SS. 1185 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Rural Provider Equity Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), the Public Health Service Act, and other Federal law with respect to rural health care, especially: (1) physician reimbursement; (2) rural health clinics and community health centers; (3) home health services; (4) air and ground ambulance services; (5) mental health care accessibility; and (6) rural health services research. Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income any loan payments under the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program. Provides for virtual pharmacist consultation service demonstration projects.
Bill· HRH.R. 2318 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act of 2003 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for programs, functions, and activities of the Veterans Health Administration for FY 2005 130 percent of the amount obligated during FY 2003. Adjusts the amount provided for fiscal years after FY 2005 based on the number of enrolled veterans and the number of other persons eligible but not enrolled who are provided care, multiplied by the per capital baseline amount for FY 2003, as increased by the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index. Prohibits the availability of such funds for: (1) construction, acquisition, or alteration of veterans' medical facilities (other than for repairs provided for before the date of enactment of this Act); or (2) grants for the construction of State home facilities for the furnishing of veterans' domiciliary, nursing home, and hospital care.
Bill· HRH.R. 2321 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Group Health Plan Coverage Expansion Act of 2003 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a program to promote and facilitate expansion of coverage under group health plans. Requires administrators of employee benefit plans under ERISA to notify plan participants, in plan descriptions, of the availability of : (1) child health insurance assistance, through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) under title XXI of the Social Security Act (SSA); and (2) cash benefits for eligible elderly or disabled individuals, through Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments under title XVI of SSA. Prohibits group health plans, and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage, under ERISA, from imposing: (1) any aggregate lifetime limit on benefits, including any category of benefits; or (2) any change in the premium rates charged to any participant or beneficiary to make them more than those charged to otherwise similarly situated individuals solely on the basis of a pre-existing condition. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow pension or annuity plans to make payments for premiums for continuation coverage (COBRA benefits, in reference to requirements of title X of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) under a group health plan on behalf of a qualified beneficiary, if such COBRA benefits are subordinate to retirement benefits provided by the plan and to the qualified current retiree health liabilities of a health benefits account which is part of such plan. Amends ERISA to authorize the Secretary or a State to bring a civil action for equitable relief against a qualified individual for not maintaining substantial health insurance coverage while obtaining emergency room services. Authorizes a court to order such a defendant to maintain at least two years of substantial health insurance coverage on the patient involved.
Bill· HRH.R. 2343 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Medicare Services Improvement and Savings Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to exclude the following portable services from payment under the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system: (1) portable electrocardiograms; (2) portable X-rays; and (3) portable mammograms.
Bill· HRH.R. 2322 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Immediate Access to Medicare for the Disabled Act of 2003 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to waive the 24-month waiting period for Medicare (SSA title XVIII) coverage of certain disabled individuals who have no health insurance coverage.
Bill· HRH.R. 2320 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicaid coverage of disabled children, and individuals who became disabled as children, without regard to income or assets.
Bill· HRH.R. 2337 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct during fiscal years 2004 and 2005 a pilot program to determine the effectiveness of contracting with private memory care facilities to provide services for veterans suffering from Alzheimer's disease as an alternative to the provision by the Secretary of inpatient or home health care for such veterans. Requires the pilot program to be conducted through five medical centers of the Veterans Health Administration selected by the Secretary.
Bill· HRH.R. 2333 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Rural Provider Equity Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), the Public Health Service Act, and other Federal law with respect to rural health care, especially: (1) physician reimbursement; (2) rural health clinics and community health centers; (3) home health services and hospice care; (4) air and ground ambulance services; (5) mental health care accessibility; and (6) rural health services research. Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income any loan payments under the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.
Bill· HRH.R. 2342 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Medicare Chronic Care Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from requiring the payment of deductibles and coinsurance for certain existing preventive benefits under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to study and report to the President on current literature and best practices in the field of health promotion and disease prevention among Medicare beneficiaries, including specified issues. Requires the Institute to develop recommendations in legislative form that prioritize Medicare preventive health benefits and modify them, adding new ones based on such study. Authorizes the Secretary by regulation to adopt any or all of such recommendations. Applies the elimination of cost-sharing for preventive benefits under this Act to any Medicare furnished items and services incorporated by such regulation. Provides for: (1) Medicare coverage of an initial preventive physical examination and care coordination and assessment services furnished by a care coordinator as a Medicare part B medical service; and (2) care coordination and assessment services and quality improvement program in Medicare+Choice plans under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice). Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to enable them to develop, implement, or train personnel in the use of standardized clinical information technology systems designed to: (1) improve the coordination and quality of care furnished to Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions; and (2) increase administrative efficiencies of such entities. Directs the Secretary to: (1) review appropriate regulations, policies, and procedures, including those of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMS), with respect to determinations of whether an item or service is reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury for purposes of payment under Medicare; and (2) take appropriate corrective measures to ensure that the proper standard for making such determinations is applied, if it is found that CMMS, a fiscal intermediary, or a carrier has misapplied the coverage standard by requiring that the item or service improve the condition of the patient with respect to such illness or injury. Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to study and report to the Secretary and Congress on factors of the Medicare program that facilitate or impede effective care for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions.
Bill· HRH.R. 2329 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Global Pathogen Surveillance Act of 2003 - Requires that priority for U.S. assistance under this Act be given to eligible developing countries that permit personnel from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) to: (1) investigate outbreaks of infectious diseases on their territories; (2) provide early notification of disease outbreaks; and (3) provide pathogen surveillance data to appropriate U.S. agencies in addition to international health organizations. Prohibits any foreign national participating in programs under this Act from having access, during the course of such participation, to select agents that may be used as, or in, a biological weapon, except in a supervised and controlled setting. Establishes a program under which the Secretary of State may award fellowships to eligible nationals to pursue: (1) graduate courses of study leading to a master of public health degree with a concentration in epidemiology from an institution of higher education in the United States with a Center for Public Health Preparedness; or (2) advanced public health training in epidemiology to be carried out at the CDCP (or equivalent State facility), or other Federal facility (excluding the Department of Defense or United States National Laboratories), for a period of between six and 12 months. Allows each fellowship recipient also to study at the CDCP (or an equivalent facility) the diagnosis and containment of likely bioterrorism agents. Requires fellowship recipients to agree to return, upon completion of education or training, to their countries of nationality or last habitual residence (so long as it is an eligible developing country) and complete at least four years of employment in a public health position in the government or a nongovernmental, not-for-profit entity in that country or, with the Secretary's approval in an international health organization. Allows the Secretary, on a case-by-case basis, and if in the U.S. national interest, to provide for participation in the program of U.S. citizens who agree, upon completion of education or training, to work at least five years in a public health position in an eligible developing country or the WHO. Directs the Secretary to support short training courses in-country (not in the United States) to laboratory technicians and other public health personnel from eligible developing countries in: (1) laboratory techniques relating to the identification, diagnosis, and tracking of pathogens responsible for possible infectious disease outbreaks; and (2) techniques of syndrome surveillance reporting and rapid analysis of syndrome information using Geographic Information System (GIS) and other Internet-based tools. Authorizes the President to furnish assistance to eligible developing countries to purchase and maintain: (1) public health laboratory equipment necessary to collect, analyze, and identify expeditiously a broad array of pathogens, including mutant strains, which may cause disease outbreaks or may be used as a biological weapon; and (2) related communications equipment and information technology. Authorizes a Federal agency head, upon the request of a U.S. chief of diplomatic mission or an international health organization, and with the Secretary's concurrence, to assign to the respective U.S. mission or organization any public health officer or employee of the agency for the purpose of enhancing disease and pathogen surveillance efforts in developing countries. Directs the CDCP and the Department of Defense each to: (1) increase the number of personnel assigned to their respective laboratories located in eligible developing countries that conduct research and other activities with respect to infectious diseases; and (2) expand the operations of those laboratories, especially in the implementation of on-site training of foreign nationals and regional outreach efforts involving neighboring countries. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to: (1) enhance the surveillance and reporting capabilities for the WHO and existing regional health networks; and (2) develop new regional health networks. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish new country or regional Foreign Epidemiology Training Programs in eligible developing countries.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 206 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2003
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of the National Marrow Donor Program and other bone marrow donor programs.
Bill· SS. 1172 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2003
Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act (or the IMPACT Act) - Amends the Public Health Service Act to address issues of overweight, obesity, and eating disorders. Expands an existing grant program for training for health profession students to include the treatment of overweight, obesity, and eating disorders. Creates a grant program for training for health professionals in such areas. Creates grant programs at the local level to promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition (in place of current law, which provides for grants to promote childhood nutrition and physical activity). Targets partnerships with businesses, schools, senior centers, day care facilities and other institutions. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to give priority in awarding grants to recipients who provide matching contributions. Permits the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to provide technical assistance to grantees. Allows the Secretary, acting through the National Center for Health Statistics, to provide for the collection and analysis of certain data, including data collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Permits the Secretary to: (1) make grants to States, public entities, and nonprofits to further the collection and analysis of such data; and (2) provide technical assistance to such grantees. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to request that the Institute of Medicine conduct a study or contract for a study on the food and nutrition programs run by the Department of Agriculture. Permits the use of preventive health and health services block grants for community education programs which promote healthy eating and exercise habits. Establishes reporting requirements with regard to: (1) obesity research; and (2) the national campaign to change children's health behaviors and reduce obesity.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 204 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2003
Recognizes that the number of gun-related deaths and injuries in the United States is unacceptable and amounts to a public health crisis. Urges the Surgeon General to warn parents of the dangers of keeping a loaded, unlocked firearm in a house with small children or teenagers. Expresses support for the Million Mom March against gun violence and its call to institute policies that will reduce the number of lives lost to gun violence by 5,000 by 2005.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 203 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2003
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) all Americans should take an active role in combating reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) by recognizing specified symptoms (which often follow an injury or surgery); (2) national and community organizations should be recognized and applauded for their work in promoting RSD awareness and for providing information and support to its sufferers; (3) health care providers should continue to increase their efforts to diagnose the disease in its earliest possible stages to increase the likelihood of remission; and (4) the Government has a responsibility to endeavor to raise awareness about the importance of the early detection and proper treatment of RSD, work to increase research funding so that the causes of, and improved treatment and cure for, RSD may be discovered, and continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating RSD.
Bill· HRH.R. 2288 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2003
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require the prorating of Medicaid beneficiary contributions in the case of partial coverage of nursing facility services during a month.
Bill· HRH.R. 2292 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2003
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for Persons with Disabilities Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements for the promotion of good health and the prevention of secondary conditions in persons with disabilities through demonstrations and interventions, surveillances and studies, public education, and training health professionals. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Advisory Committee on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for Persons With Disabilities to set program priorities.
Bill· HRH.R. 2295 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2003
Medicaid Nursing Incentive Act of 2003 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to eliminate the State option to include nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistants as primary care case managers. Specifies as primary care case managers any nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant that provides primary care case management services under a primary care case management contract. Revises the coverage of certain nurse practitioner services under the Medicaid fee-for-service program to remove the specification of certified pediatric nurse practitioner and certified family nurse practitioner in order to extend such coverage to services furnished by any certified nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. Includes certified nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists in the mix of service providers which Medicaid managed care organizations are required to maintain.
Bill· SS. 1161 (108th)reported
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2003
Foreign Assistance Authorization Act, fiscal year 2004 - Authorizes appropriations for FY 2004 to the President for development assistance and for the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish in the Treasury a Development Credit Authority Program Account, with appropriations authorized for FY 2004, and to authorize FY 2004 appropriations for: (1) technical assistance to foreign governments and foreign central banks of developing or transitional countries; (2) international organizations and programs; (3) international disaster assistance; (4) famine assistance; (5) assistance for the independent states of the former Soviet Union, and for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States; and (6) operating expenses of the United States Agency for International Development. Establishes in the Treasury a Complex Foreign Crises Contingency Fund, with appropriations authorized for FY 2004. Authorizes FY 2004 appropriations for: (1) international narcotics control and law enforcement, especially for Colombia; (2) Economic Support Fund; (3) international military education and training; (4) peacekeeping operations; (5) nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, demining, and related assistance; and (6) foreign military financing program, particularly assistance to Israel and Egypt. Authorizes FY 2004 appropriations for: (1) the Inter-American Foundation; and (2) the African Development Foundation. Amends specified Federal laws to authorize FY 2004 appropriations for contributions to: (1) the seventh replenishment of the Asian Development Fund; (2) the thirteenth replenishment of the International Development Association; and (3) the ninth replenishment of the African Development Fund. Authorizes the President to make available certain FY 2003 funds for relief and reconstruction efforts in and around Iraq. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to: (1) development policy; (2) assistance for nongovernmental organizations; (3) authority for use of funds for unanticipated contingencies; (4) authority to accept lethal excess property; (5) reconstruction assistance under international disaster assistance authority; (6) funding authorities for assistance for the independent states of the former Soviet Union; (7) waiver of net proceeds resulting from disposal of U.S. defense articles provided to a foreign country on a grant basis; (8) transfer of certain obsolete or surplus defense articles in the war reserve stockpiles for allies to Israel; (9) additions to war reserve stockpiles for allies for FY 2004; (10) restrictions on economic support funds for Lebanon; (11) administration of justice; (12) demining programs; (13) special waiver authority; (14) prohibition of assistance for countries in default; (15) military coups; (16) alternative dispute resolution; (17) assistance for law enforcement forces; (18) special debt relief for the poorest; (19) the Congo Basin Forest Partnership; (20) landmine clearance programs; and (21) the Middle East Foundation. Amends the Arms Export Control Act with respect to: (1) thresholds for advance notice to Congress of sales or upgrades of defense articles, design and construction services, and major defense equipment; (2) the requirement for advance notice to Congress of comprehensive export authorizations; (3) an exception to bilateral agreement requirements for transfers of defense items within Australia; (4) authority to provide cataloging data and services to non-NATO countries; (5) Freedom Support Act permanent waiver authority; (6) extension of Pakistan waivers; (7) consolidation of reports on nonproliferation in South Asia; (8) the Haitian Coast Guard; (9) the sense of Congress relating to exports of defense items to the United Kingdom; and (10) marketing information for commercial communications satellites. Radiological Terrorism Threat Reduction Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of State to: (1) propose that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conclude agreements with up to eight countries for temporary international storage facilities for radioactive sources; (2) support a program to promote discovery, inventory, and recovery of radioactive sources; (3) assist the Government of the Russian Federation to substitute solar (or other non-nuclear) power sources for radioisotope thermal power units operated by the Russian Federation and other independent states of the former Soviet Union; (4) assist in development of foreign first responders to radioactive situations; and (5) submit threat assessment reports to the appropriate congressional committees. Global Pathogen Surveillance Act of 2003 - Establishes a fellowship program in public health education or training. Directs the Secretary to support in-country training in laboratory techniques and syndrome surveillance. Authorizes the President to assist eligible developing countries in the purchase and maintenance of public health laboratory equipment, as well as communication equipment and information technology. Authorizes Federal agencies to assign public health personnel to U.S. missions and international organizations. Directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to: (1) increase the number of personnel assigned to CDCP or DOD infectious disease research laboratories; and (2) expand laboratory operations. Authorizes the President to assist in the development of regional health networks, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish new Foreign Epidemiology Training Programs. Amends specified Federal laws with respect to: (1) elimination and modification of certain reporting requirements; (2) certain claims for expropriation by the Government of Nicaragua; and (3) annual reports to Congress under the Arms Control and Disarmament Act. Declares the sense of Congress about support for Sierra Leone, Somalia, and the Central African States. Makes certain funds available to support independent media in Ethiopia and the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance Program. Specifies a condition on the provision of certain funds to Indonesia or the Indonesian Armed Forces. Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to add certain countries of the Caribbean region to those for which U.S. activities relating to combatting HIV/AIDS require the direct approval of the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally.
Bill· SS. 1160 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2003
Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 - Declares that the purposes of the Act are to provide U.S. assistance for global development through Millennium Challenge Contracts in a manner that: (1) promotes economic growth and the elimination of extreme poverty; and (2) strengthens good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people. Authorizes the Secretary of State to provide assistance aimed at reducing extreme poverty to an eligible developing country that enters into a Millennium Challenge Contract with the United States establishing a multiyear plan for achieving economic growth, good governance, economic freedom, and investments in its people. Defines "eligible country" in terms of a country's commitment to democratic governance, economic freedom, and investment in its people (including educational opportunities and health care for all its citizens). Establishes a Millennium Challenge Account for receipt of funds authorized to carry out this Act.
Bill· SS. 1153 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Veterans Prescription Drugs Assistance Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish such drugs and medicines as may be ordered on prescription of a duly licensed physician as specific therapy in the treatment of any illness or injury suffered by each veteran who is receiving additional compensation or allowance due to a service-connected disability, or increased pension as a veteran of a period of war, by reason of being permanently housebound or in need of regular aid and attendance. Allows any Medicare-eligible veteran to elect to be furnished by the Secretary, on an outpatient basis, such drugs and medicines as ordered on prescription of a duly licensed physician as specific therapy for any illness or injury suffered by the veteran. Requires such election to last for a calendar year and to be irrevocable. Allows for election renewal. Requires appropriate information to be furnished to each veteran prior to such election. Authorizes the Secretary to administer immunizations to voluntary eligible veterans in connection with the provision of care in any Department of Veterans Affairs health care facility. Provides for appropriate copayments for the drugs and medicines received by veterans under authority of this Act.
Bill· SS. 1144 (108th)open
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs health care facility located at 820 South Damen Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Bill· SS. 1148 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Medicare Quality Improvement Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for a health care quality demonstration program under which the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall approve demonstration projects that examine health delivery factors that encourage the delivery of improved quality in patient care. Directs the Secretary to establish within HHS a national steering committee for medical excellence demonstration programs to make recommendations to the Secretary regarding program design, evaluation, and participation criteria.
Bill· SS. 1143 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a plan for the prevention, control, and management of hepatitis C virus (HCV), which shall include strategies for education and training, surveillance and early detection, and research. Requires the Secretary to conduct a biennial assessment of the plan. Directs the Secretary to support the development of voluntary State, local, and tribal HCV testing programs and counseling. Provides for the vaccination of individuals infected with HCV against hepatitis A and B and other infectious diseases. Directs the Secretary to support the establishment and maintenance of HCV surveillance databases and to establish and support a Hepatitis C Clinical Research Network. Allows the Secretary to award grants to States, political subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, or non-profit entities that have special expertise relating to HCV, to carry out activities under this Act. Directs the Director of the National Institutes of Health to establish a Liver Disease Research Advisory Board.
Bill· SS. 1142 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Children's Dental Health Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States to improve dental services to children enrolled in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish a grant program to expand the availability of primary dental care services in medically underserved areas. Authorizes retention bonuses for eligible dental officers of the Indian Health Service. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of HRSA and the Director of the Indian Health Service, to establish demonstration projects to increase access to dental services for children in underserved areas. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) an oral health initiative to reduce disparities in oral health; and (2) Chief Dental Officers for Medicaid and SCHIP, HRSA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Requires the Director of the CDC to collect data on dental, craniofacial, and oral health. Requires the Secretary to identify populations at high risk for early childhood caries (tooth decay) and to develop prevention programs. Revises the eligibility requirements for the school-based dental sealant program to include Indian tribes. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of the CDC, to award grants to States and Indian tribes to improve their basic capacity to improve the oral health of children and their families.
Bill· SS. 1159 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Hispanic Health Improvement Act of 2003 - Amends the Social Security Act to provide incentives for States to grant title XIX (Medicaid) and title XXI (SCHIP) coverage to parents and pregnant women. Grants automatic enrollment of children in State child health assistance who are born to title XXI parents. Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to permit States and localities to provide certain health care benefits to aliens that current law prohibits States and localities from granting. Amends Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid) to make children enrolled in SCHIP eligible for the pediatric vaccine distribution program. Latina Adolescent Suicide Prevention Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program for the prevention of Latina adolescent suicides. Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration; (2) the Director of the National Cancer Institute; and (3) the Director of the Indian Health Service to make grants for model programs to provide services for cancer and chronic diseases to individuals of health disparity populations. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to make grants to Hispanic-serving health professions schools to carry out programs to recruit Hispanic individuals to enroll in and graduate from the schools. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend the programs of the Office of Minority Health. Directs the heads of certain agencies within the public health service to establish individual offices of minority health. Establishes in the Department of Health and Human Services an Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
Law· SS. 1146 (108th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Three Affiliated Tribes Health Facility Compensation Act - Amends the Three Affiliated Tribes and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Act to reauthorize appropriations for each of the Tribes' economic recovery fund. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for the construction of a rural health care facility on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation of the Three Affiliated Tribes, North Dakota.
Law· SS. 1156 (108th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2003
Department of Veterans Affairs Long-Term Care and Personnel Authorities Enhancement Act of 2003 - Extends through 2008: (1) the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat noninstitutional extended care services as medical services; and (2) the requirement that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs provide nursing home care to veterans in need of such care who have service-connected disabilities rated at 50 (currently 70) percent or more. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) enter into agreements for furnishing nursing home and adult day health care in non-Department facilities; and (2) carry out specified major medical facility projects. Adds various health care personnel to personnel that may be appointed by the Secretary if found necessary for the medical care of veterans. Allows the Secretary to appoint such personnel on a temporary, part-time, or without-compensation basis. Allows employees of the Veterans' Canteen Service to be considered for appointment in Department positions in the competitive service in the same manner as Department employees in the competitive service are considered for transfer to the Service. Revises effective dates with respect to the treatment for retirement annuity purposes of certain part-time service of VHA health professionals. Makes permanent the authority of the Secretary to use contract physicians to perform Department disability examinations (currently a pilot program).
Bill· SS. 1132 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Veterans' Survivors Benefits Enhancements Act of 2003 - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to increase the rates of: (1) survivors' and dependents' educational assistance; and (2) assistance for correspondence courses and apprenticeship training. Provides a duration of 36 months for survivors' and dependents' educational assistance (currently, 45 months) for a person who first files a claim after the date of enactment of this Act. Increases by $250 the monthly rate of dependency and indemnity compensation in the case of a surviving spouse with one or more children under the age of 18. Continues such additional payment until all of that spouse's children reach 18 years of age, for not more than five years following the veteran's death. Makes eligible for burial in national cemeteries a surviving spouse who had a subsequent remarriage (currently, a surviving spouse who had a subsequent remarriage which was terminated by death or divorce). Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide to any child of a veteran of covered service in Korea who is suffering from spina bifida the health care, vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary allowance currently required to be paid to a child of a Vietnam veteran who is suffering from spina bifida.
Bill· SS. 1138 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Help Expand Access to Recovery and Treatment Act of 2003, or the HEART Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code to provide for parity in the application of treatment limitations and financial requirements to substance abuse treatment benefits under group health plans and individual health insurance coverage.
Bill· SS. 1114 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Kidney Disease Educational Benefits Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide coverage for kidney disease education services furnished upon the managing physician's referral to an individual with kidney disease who will require dialysis or a kidney transplant. Requires such services to impart comprehensive information regarding management, prevention, and options for treatment of kidney disease, and to ensure that such individuals have the opportunity to participate actively in the choice of therapy.
Bill· SS. 1113 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Improved Access to Osteoporosis Testing Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to eliminate cost-sharing under Medicare for bone mass measurements, thus making the Federal payment 100 percent.
Bill· SS. 1112 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Veterans' Prescription Drug Reform Act of 2003 - Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to allow pharmacies of the Department of Veterans Affairs to dispose medications pursuant to a valid prescription written by a private practicioner to any veteran who is on a waiting list for a first appointment with the Department for medical services.
Bill· SS. 1127 (108th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2003
Fair And Impartial Rights (FAIR) for Medicare Act of 2003 - Places within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) any administrative law judge (ALJ) performing functions in the Medicare appeals process. Directs the Secretary of HHS to ensure the independence of such ALJ's according to specified criteria. Requires that they be placed in an administrative office organizationally and functionally separate from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Prohibits any individual who is not a duly appointed ALJ from performing ALJ functions in the Medicare appeals process.