Healthcare

End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2014

End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act - Defines "neglected tropical diseases" (NTDs), for purposes of this Act, as infections caused by pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminths that disproportionately impact individuals living in extreme poverty, especially in developing countries. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Neglected Tropical Diseases Program of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) should be modified with respect to rapid impact package treatments, school-based NTD programs, and new approaches to reach the goals of eliminating NTDs set forth by the World Health Organization. Sets forth measures to expand the USAID program, including by establishment of a research and development program. Adds to the duties of the of the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally the coordination with HIV/AIDS activities of those relating to combatting NTDs, particularly in countries and regions that are highly endemic for female genital schistosomiasis. Urges the Secretary of State to: (1) engage the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in discussions of whether to expand the authority of the Fund for the control and elimination of NTDs; and (2) engage G-20 countries to significantly increase their role in the that effort, particularly Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. Requires the President to direct the U.S. representatives to the United Nations and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to urge actions on NTDs, including deworming programs. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue to promote the need for NTD programs and activities through interagency groups and international forums and report to Congress on NTDs in the United States. Authorizes HHS to enter into cooperative agreements to support one or more centers of excellence for NTD research. Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a panel to evaluate issues relating to worm infections, including potential solutions such as deworming medicines.

Recognizing that cardiovascular disease continues to be an overwhelming threat to women's health and the importance of providing basic, preventive heart screenings to women wherever they seek primary care.

United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2014

States that the House of Representatives: (1) recognizes that heart disease remains the number one killer of women in the United States, that this is untenable, and that basic, preventive heart disease screenings should be a routine part of women's health care; (2) recognizes the importance of early screening wherever women seek primary care; and (3) commits to improving the heart health of all women, tearing down barriers that prevent women from getting screened for heart disease, ensuring women are provided with personalized lifestyle modification recommendations and support, and ensuring all women have a healthy heart.

Presidential Make it in America Awards Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2014

Presidential Make it in America Awards Act of 2014 - Establishes the following presidential awards: the Presidential Reshoring Award, for the best example of a U.S. company that returns manufacturing jobs and operations from overseas to the United States; the Presidential Invest in America Award, for the best example of a U.S. company that invests in significant new domestic manufacturing jobs and operations, and the Presidential Foreign Direct Investment Award, for the best example of a foreign company that invests in U.S. manufacturing jobs and operations. Authorizes the awards, subject to modification, in the categories of: (1) small business, (2) company or its subsidiary, (3) company which primarily provides services, (4) health care provider, (5) education provider, and (6) nonprofit organization. Limits the awards to one of each in any year to a qualified organization in each eligible category. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to publish on the departmental website information on the successful strategies and programs of organizations that receive these awards.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Members who vote in favor of the establishment of a public, Federal Government run health insurance option are urged to forgo their right to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and agree to enroll under that public option.

United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2014

Urges Members of Congress who vote in favor of the establishment of a public, federal government-run health insurance option to forgo their right to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and agree to enroll under that public option.

Autism CARES Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2014

Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 2014 or the Autism CARES Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate an official to oversee national autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research, services, and support activities. Directs the official to implement such activities taking into account the strategic plan developed by the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (the Interagency Committee) and ensure that duplication of activities by federal agencies is minimized. Extends through FY2019: (1) the developmental disabilities surveillance and research program; (2) the autism education, early detection, and intervention program; and (3) the Interagency Committee. Includes support for regional centers of excellence in ASD and other developmental disabilities epidemiology as a purpose of grants or cooperative agreements. Requires information and education activities to be culturally competent. Allows a lead agency coordinating activities at the state level to include respite care for caregivers. Allows the use of research centers or networks for the provision of training in respite care and for research to determine practices for interventions to improve the health of individuals with ASD. Revises responsibilities of the Interagency Committee concerning: inclusion of school- and community-based interventions in the Committee summary of advances, monitoring of ASD research and federal services and support activities, recommendations to the Director of the National Institutes of Health regarding the strategic plan, recommendations regarding the process by which public feedback can be better integrated into ASD decisions, strategic plan updates and recommendations to minimize duplication, and reports to the President and Congress. Revises Interagency Committee membership requirements to specify additional federal agencies that might be represented and to modify the non-federal membership. Modifies requirements for reports by the Secretary on ASD activities. Adds a requirement for a report to Congress concerning young adults with ASD and the challenges related to the transition from existing school-based services to those available during adulthood. Authorizes appropriations to carry out the developmental disabilities surveillance and research program, the education, early detection, and intervention program, and the Interagency Committee for FY2015-FY2019.

Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2014

Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014 - Title I: Improvement of Scheduling System for Health Care Appointments - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to contract for an independent assessment of: the process at each VA medical facility for scheduling appointments for veterans; the staffing level and productivity of each VA medical facility; the organization, processes, and tools used by the VA to support clinical documentation and the subsequent coding of inpatient services; the VA's purchasing, distribution, and use of pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, and medical devices; and the VA's performance in paying amounts owed to third parties and collecting amounts it is owed. Directs the Secretary: (1) through a technology task force, to review the VA's needs regarding its system and software for scheduling veterans' medical appointments; and (2) to implement task force recommendations the Secretary considers feasible, advisable, and cost-effective. Title II: Training and Hiring of Health Care Staff - Requires the Inspector General of the VA to annually determine the five health care occupations for which there is the largest staffing shortage throughout the VA. Authorizes the Secretary, upon a determination by the Inspector General that there is such a staffing shortage regarding a particular health care occupation, to recruit and directly appoint highly qualified health care providers to serve in that particular occupation for the VA. Directs the Secretary, under the VA's Health Professionals Educational Assistance program, to give scholarship priority to applicants pursuing education or training towards a career in a health care occupation that represents one of the five largest staffing shortages in the VA. Requires the Secretary to submit a biennial report to Congress, until 2024, assessing the staffing of each VA medical facility. Directs the Secretary to establish a clinic management training program to provide in-person, standardized education on health care management to all managers of, and health care providers at, VA medical facilities. Terminates the program after two years. Requires the Secretary, thereafter, to provide health care management training materials to specified VA employees upon the commencement of their employment. Makes specified appropriations to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) that remain unobligated at the end of FY2014 and FY2015 available to the Secretary to hire additional health care providers for the VHA, particularly in VA medical facilities and areas experiencing the greatest shortages. Title III: Improvement of Access to Care from Non-Department of Veterans Affairs Providers - Requires hospital care and medical services to be furnished to veterans through contracts with specified non-VA facilities if the veterans: have been unable to schedule an appointment at a VA medical facility within the VHA's wait-time goals for hospital care or medical services and such veterans opt for non-VA care or services; reside more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility; or reside in a state without a VA medical facility that provides hospital care, emergency medical services, and surgical care and such veterans reside more than 20 miles from such a facility. Provides for such care through contracts with any health care provider participating in the Medicare program, any federally-qualified health center, the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Directs the Secretary to provide veterans with information about the availability of care and services at non-VA facilities: (1) when they enroll in the VA patient enrollment system, and (2) when they attempt to schedule an appointment for VA hospital care or medical services but are unable to do so within the VHA's wait time goals. Terminates this Act's requirement that the Secretary furnish care and services through contracts with non-VA facilities two years after the Secretary publishes interim final regulations implementing the program. Requires the Secretary to transfer the authority to pay for health care through non-VA facilities from the VA's Veterans Integrated Service Networks and medical centers to the VHA's Chief Business Office. Directs the Secretary to conduct outreach to each Indian medical facility operated by an Indian tribe or tribal organization through a contract or compact with the IHS to raise awareness of the ability of such facilities, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to enter into agreements with the VA for reimbursement for providing veterans with health care at such facilities. Requires the Secretary to establish performance metrics for assessing the performance of the VA and IHS under a memorandum of understanding to increase access to, and the quality and coordination of, health care services. Directs the Secretary to enter into agreements for the reimbursement of direct care services provided to veterans with Native Hawaiian health care systems that are in receipt of funds from grants awarded, or contracts entered into, under the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary must comply with the prompt payment rule or any similar regulation or ruling in paying for health care under contracts with non-VA providers. Title IV: Health Care Administrative Matters - Directs the Secretary to improve veterans' access to telemedicine and other health care through the use of VA mobile vet centers by establishing standardized requirements for the operation of such centers. Includes among those requirements: (1) the number of days each center is expected to travel each year, (2) the number of locations each center is expected to visit each year, (3) the number of appointments each center is expected to conduct each year, and (4) the method and timing of notification given by each center to individuals in the area to which such center is traveling. Requires each mobile vet center to have the capability to provide telemedicine services. Establishes an Independent Commission on Department of Veterans Affairs Construction Projects to review the VA's current construction and maintenance projects and medical facility leasing program to identify any problems the VA experienced in carrying out such projects and program. Establishes the Commission on Access to Care to examine veterans' access to VA health care and strategically examine how best to organize the VHA, locate health care resources, and deliver health care to veterans over the next 10 to 20 years. Directs the President to require the Secretary and the heads of other relevant federal agencies to implement each recommendation that the President considers feasible and advisable and determines can be implemented without further legislative action. Requires the Secretary to ensure that scheduling and wait-time metrics or goals are not used as factors in determining the performance of: (1) directors, associate directors, assistant directors, deputy directors, chiefs of staff, and clinical leads of VA medical centers; and (2) directors, assistant directors, and quality management officers of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). Directs the Secretary to modify the performance plans of the directors of the VA medical centers and VISNs to ensure that such plans are based on the quality of care received by veterans at the health care facilities under their jurisdictions. Prohibits the Secretary from including in the performance goals of any VISN or VA medical center employee any goal that might disincentivize the payment of VA amounts to provide health care through a non-VA provider. Requires the Secretary to publish: (1) within 90 days after this Act's enactment, the VA's wait time goals for the scheduling of a veterans' appointment for health care; and (2) within one year after this Act's enactment, the current wait times for an appointment for primary care and specialty care at each VA medical center. Directs the Secretary to develop, update, and make publicly available a comprehensive database containing all applicable patient safety, quality of care, and outcome measures for VA health care that are tracked by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide the HHS Secretary with the information needed to make VA medical center patient quality and outcome information publicly available through the HHS's Hospital Compare website. Requires: (1) the VA website to include a link to the VA's health care providers database that provides veterans with the location of each VA physician's residency training, and (2) each veteran who is to undergo a surgical procedure by or through the VA to be provided information on the credentials of the surgeon who is to perform the procedure. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to submit an assessment to Congress of: (1) the manner in which contractors under the VA's Patient-Centered Community Care initiative oversee the credentials of physicians within their networks, (2) the VA's oversight of the contracts under the Patient-Centered Community Care initiative, and (3) the VA's verification of the credentials and licenses of health care providers furnishing hospital care and medical services to veterans in non-VA facilities. Requires the Secretary to implement a plan to address the Comptroller General's findings and recommendations. Requires the annual budget that the President submits to Congress to include specified information regarding: (1) the cost of providing, and the number of veterans receiving, medical care through contracts with non-VA facilities; and (2) the number of VA employees on paid administrative leave during the preceding fiscal year. Directs the Secretary to establish policies penalizing VA employees who knowingly submit, or knowingly require another VA employee to submit, false data concerning health care wait times or quality measures to another VA employee. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) remove any individual from the VA Senior Executive Service if the Secretary determines that the individual's performance warrants such removal, and (2) remove such individual from the civil service or transfer the individual to a General Schedule position at any appropriate grade for which the individual is qualified. Gives an individual seven days to appeal such a removal or transfer to the Merit Systems Protection Board (Board). Requires the Board to conduct an expedited review process that results in a final decision on such an appeal within 21 days after it was submitted. Title V: Health Care Related to Sexual Trauma - Expands eligibility for counseling and treatment for sexual trauma to veterans who were on inactive duty training when they experienced sexual assault or harassment. Authorizes the Secretary to provide such counseling and treatment to active-duty members of the Armed Forces who experienced sexual assault or harassment while serving on active duty or active or inactive duty training. (Under current law, such services are provided only to veterans.) Prohibits such a member from being required to obtain a referral before receiving such services. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the treatment and services available from the VA for male veterans who experience military sexual trauma compared to such treatment and services available to female veterans who experience such trauma. Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense Joint Executive Committee to submit reports to Congress on the transition of military sexual abuse treatment from the DOD to the VA. Title VI: Major Medical Facility Leases - Authorizes the Secretary to carry out certain major medical facility leases at specified locations for up to specified amounts. Directs the Secretary, in exercising the authority to enter into such leases, to record as the full cost of the contractual obligation at the time a contract is executed either: (1) the amount of total payments under the full lease term, or (2) the first-year payments plus the specified cancellation costs if the lease is terminated before its full term. Requires the funding prospectus of a proposed lease to include a detailed analysis of how the lease is expected to comply with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-11 and the Anti-Deficiency Act, including an analysis of: (1) the classification of the lease as a lease-purchase, capital lease, or operating lease; (2) the obligation of budgetary resources associated with the lease; and (3) the methodology used in determining the asset cost, fair market value, and cancellation costs of the lease. Directs the Secretary, at least 30 days before entering into a lease, to submit to Congress: (1) notice of the intention to enter into, and a detailed summary of, such lease; (2) a description and analysis of any differences between the lease prospectus submitted and the proposed lease; and (3) a scoring analysis demonstrating that the proposed lease fully complies with OMB Circular A-11. Requires the Secretary, no more than 30 days after entering into a lease, to report any material differences between the proposed lease and the lease entered. Title VII: Veterans Benefits Matters - Expands the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship to include surviving spouses (currently, children) of service members who die in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. Requires a surviving spouse entitled to such assistance and also to veterans' educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill to elect a single coverage. Directs the Secretary to disapprove, for purposes of the All-Volunteer Force and the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance programs, courses of education provided by a public educational institution of higher education (IHE) that charges veterans living in the state higher tuition and fees than it charges in-state residents, regardless of the veteran's state of residence. Makes this provision applicable to: (1) veterans who were discharged or released from at least 90 days of active service less than three years before their date of enrollment in the applicable course, (2) family members eligible for such assistance due to their relationship to such veterans, and (3) courses that commence on or after July 1, 2015. Prohibits the Secretary from disapproving a public IHE's course on the grounds that the IHE conditions a veteran's receipt of in-state tuition rates on such veteran: (1) demonstrating an intent, by means other than physical presence, to establish residency in the state; or (2) satisfying other requirements not related to the establishment of residency. Title VIII: Appropriation and Emergency Designations - Authorizes and appropriates such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act for FY2014-FY2016. Treats such funding as emergency funding that is not subject to pay-as-you-go spending constraints.

LIFE Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2014

Promoting Healthier Lifelong Improvements in Food and Exercise Act or the LIFE Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to carry out a national program to conduct and support activities regarding individuals who are overweight or obese in order to make progress toward the goal of significantly reducing obesity in the United States. Requires such activities to include: (1) training health professionals, (2) educating the public, and (3) developing and demonstrating intervention strategies for use at worksites and in community settings.

Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2014

Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise Medicare payments for dialysis services provided to individuals with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and acute kidney injury. Extends the time period when a private health insurer, in determining benefits, cannot consider a group health insurance enrollee's ESRD or entitlement to Medicare coverage due to ESRD. Makes individuals with ESRD eligible for Medicare Advantage. Allows dialysis facilities to provide kidney disease education services and allows physician assistants, nurse practitioners, or clinical nurse specialists to refer individuals to those services. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an ESRD Care Coordination program to provide higher Medicare payments to nephrologists, dialysis facilities, and other providers that reduce spending on ESRD by being part of a coordinated care organization. Amends the Public Health Service Act to include dialysis as a service provided by the National Health Service Corps in health professional shortage areas. Makes nephrologists and non-physician practitioners who provide dialysis eligible for the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program and Loan Repayment Program. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to submit a report identifying gaps in chronic kidney disease research and comparing research funding to expenditures on disease treatment. Requires HHS to study the causes of kidney disease and efforts to treat kidney disease in disproportionately affected minority populations.

Veteran Access to Care Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2014

Veteran Access to Care Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into contracts with such non-VA facilities as may be necessary to furnish hospital care and medical services to veterans who: have waited longer than the wait-time goals of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) (as of June 1, 2014) for an appointment for hospital care or medical services in a VA facility; have been notified by a VA facility that an appointment for hospital care or medical services is not available within such wait-time goals; or reside more than 40 miles from the VA medical facility, including a community-based outpatient clinic, that is closest to their residence. Allows eligible veterans who opt for hospital care or medical services in a non-VA facility to receive such care or services through the completion of the episode of care, but for no longer than 60 days. Directs the Secretary, to the extent that appropriations are available to the VHA for medical services, to reimburse non-VA facilities with which the VA does not have such a contract for providing hospital care and medical services to such veterans, if such care and services cannot be provided within the VHA's wait-time goals in a facility with which the VA has a contract. Sets the reimbursement rate for such care or services at the greatest of the VA, Medicare, or TRICARE (a Department of Defense [DOD] managed care program) payment rate for such care or services. Terminates the Secretary's authority to contract with or reimburse non-VA facilities for the provision of such care and services two years after this Act's enactment. Directs the Secretary to enter into a contract or contracts with a private entity or entities with experience in VHA and private delivery systems and in health care management to conduct an independent assessment of the hospital care and medical services furnished in VA facilities. Prohibits the Secretary from paying awards and bonuses to VA employees for FY2014-FY2016.

Truth in Obamacare Accounting Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2014

Truth in Obamacare Accounting Act - Requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide regular estimates of the net effect that enactment and implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 had on direct spending, revenue, and the deficit. Requires CBO to include the estimates in each annual and revised report on the budget and economic outlook prepared pursuant to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

Family Coverage Act

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2014

Family Coverage Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury have the administrative authority, within their respective jurisdictions, to apply the affordability provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act so as to expand access to affordable health insurance coverage for working families without further legislation. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the affordability requirement for the tax credit for health care premium assistance to provide that an employee is eligible for premium assistance if his or her required contribution to an employer-sponsored health care plan does not exceed 9.5% of family household income.

No Subsidies Without Verification Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2014

No Subsidies Without Verification Act of 2014 - Disallows the health plan premium assistance tax credit or cost-sharing reduction under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act before the first date of the first coverage month beginning on or after the date on which the process to verify an individual's household income and coverage requirements of such individual for purposes of determining eligibility for, and the accurate amount of, the credit or reduction, respectively, has been completed. Requires for such verification: (1) completion of a manual or electronic review of the information required of an applicant for enrollment in a plan, and (2) resolution of any inconsistency of such information with records of the Departments of the Treasury or Homeland Security (DHS) or the Social Security Administration. Exempts individuals from the penalty for not maintaining minimum essential coverage for any month with respect to which a premium tax credit is being claimed and that begins before the date on which the verification process has been completed. Suspends, until the coverage month beginning after eligibility verification has been completed, the premium tax credit and reduced cost-sharing in the case of individuals for whom the subsidy was allowed before enactment of this Act. Provides a special enrollment period for an individual who terminated enrollment in a qualified plan during the period of suspension.

SIGMA Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2014

Special Inspector General for Monitoring the ACA Act of 2014 or the SIGMA Act of 2014 - Establishes the Office of the Special Inspector General for Monitoring the Affordable Care Act to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations of the implementation and administration of programs and activities established under, and payment system changes made by, the Affordable Care Act (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010). Requires the Special Inspector General to be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Requires the Special Inspector General to appoint an Assistant Inspector General for Auditing and an Assistant Inspector General for Investigations. Places the Special Inspector General under the supervision of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), but prohibits federal agencies involved in implementing or administering the Affordable Care Act from preventing or prohibiting the Special Inspector General from initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation.

Ensuring Veterans' Resiliency Act

United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2014

Ensuring Veterans' Resiliency Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a three-year pilot program to repay the loans used to finance the education expenses related to psychiatric medicine of certain individuals who demonstrate a commitment to long-term careers as psychiatrists in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Requires those individuals to be: (1) licensed or eligible for licensure to practice psychiatric medicine in the VHA, or (2) enrolled in the final year of a residency program leading to a specialty qualification in psychiatric medicine that is approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Directs the Secretary to select at least 10 individuals each year to participate in the program. Requires program participants to agree to a period of obligated service with the VHA in the field of psychiatric medicine. Prohibits the Secretary from paying more than $60,000 on behalf of an individual for each year of obligated service the individual agrees to serve. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study of pay disparities among VHA psychiatrists. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a pilot program providing a monthly housing allowance to individuals who: (1) are health care providers, (2) are or agree to become VHA employees on a full-time basis in a health care position designated by the Secretary, and (3) accept an assignment in such position for at least 36 months at a rural or highly rural community-based outpatient clinic selected by the Secretary. Provides bonus housing allowances to participants who complete the 36 months of service and to those who complete additional one-year or two-year terms of service.

Ensuring Veterans Access to Care Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2014

Ensuring Veterans Access to Care Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) implement an upgraded and centralized electronic system for scheduling individuals' appointments for VA health care, and (2) contract for an independent assessment of the process at each VA medical facility for scheduling such appointments. Sets forth measures concerning the training and hiring of VA health personnel that: protect primary care physicians from liability for failing to perform their period of obligated service under the Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program due to VA staffing changes or an oversupply of primary care physicians; allow individuals, as part of that Program, to enroll in the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences to pursue a medical education with a primary care specialization; require the Secretary to annually identify the five VA health care occupations for which there are the largest staffing shortages, to recruit and appoint health care providers to those positions, and to give scholarship priority under the Health Professionals Educational Assistance Program to applicants pursuing careers in those occupations; direct the Secretary to implement a clinic management training program to provide in-person, standardized education on health care management to all managers of, and health care providers at, VA medical facilities; and include service at VA medical facilities as obligated service under the National Health Service Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs. Establishes measures to improve veterans' access to health care from non-VA providers by: requiring the Secretary to make enhanced use of the Secretary's existing authorities to give veterans access to health care at non-VA facilities if they cannot get timely access to care at VA health facilities; extending a joint Department of Defense (DOD)-VA program to identify, implement, and evaluate creative health care coordination and sharing initiatives at facility, intraregional, and nationwide levels; requiring the Secretary to transfer the authority to pay for health care through non-VA facilities from the VA's Veterans Integrated Service Networks and medical centers to the Veterans Health Administration's Chief Business Office; requiring the Secretary to provide outreach to Indian medical facilities regarding their ability to enter into agreements with the VA for reimbursement for providing veterans with health care; requiring the Secretary to enter into agreements to reimburse Native Hawaiian health care systems for the provision of health care to veterans. Sets forth VA health care administrative matters, which include: requiring the Secretary to improve veterans' access to telemedicine and other health care through the use of VA mobile vet centers by establishing standardized requirements for the operation of such centers, establishing the Commission on Access to Care, establishing the Commission on Capital Planning for Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facilities, and authorizing the Secretary to remove any individual from the Senior Executive Service if the Secretary determines that the individual's performance warrants such removal. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out certain major medical facility leases at specified locations for up to specified amounts. Sets forth requirements for the budgetary treatment of such leases.

Veterans Choice Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2014

Veterans Choice Act of 2014 - Requires hospital care and medical services to be furnished to veterans through contracts with Medicare providers if the veterans: (1) have been unable to schedule an appointment at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility within the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA's) wait-time goals for hospital care or medical services, and (2) opt for care or services from such providers. Directs the VA Secretary to provide veterans with information about the availability of care and services from Medicare providers when they: (1) enroll in the VA patient enrollment system, and (2) attempt to schedule an appointment for VA hospital care or medical services but are unable to do so within VHA's wait-time goals. Terminates this Act's requirement that the Secretary furnish care and services through contracts with Medicare providers two years after the Secretary publishes interim final regulations implementing the program. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary must comply with the prompt payment rule or any similar regulation or ruling in paying for health care under contracts with non-VA providers. Requires the Secretary to ensure that scheduling and wait-time metrics or goals are not used as factors in determining the performance of: (1) directors, associate directors, assistant directors, deputy directors, chiefs of staff, and clinical leads of VA medical centers; and (2) directors, assistant directors, and quality management officers of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). Directs the Secretary to modify the performance plans of the directors of VA medical centers and VISNs to ensure that such plans are based on the quality of care received by veterans at the health care facilities under their jurisdiction. Requires the Secretary to publish: (1) within 90 days after this Act's enactment, VA's wait-time goals for the scheduling of a veterans' appointment for health care; and (2) within one year after this Act's enactment, the current wait times for an appointment for primary care and specialty care at each VA medical center. Directs the Secretary to develop, update, and make publicly available a comprehensive database containing all applicable patient safety, quality of care, and outcome measures for VA health care that are tracked by the Secretary. Requires the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide the HHS Secretary with the information needed to make VA medical center patient quality and outcome information publicly available through HHS's Hospital Compare website. Requires: (1) the VA website to include a link to the VA's health care providers database that provides veterans with the location of each VA physician's residency training, and (2) each veteran who is to undergo a surgical procedure by or through the VA to be provided information on the credentials of the surgeon who is to perform the procedure. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to submit an assessment to Congress of: (1) the manner in which contractors under the VA's Patient-Centered Community Care initiative oversee the credentials of physicians within their networks, and (2) VA's oversight of the contracts under the Patient-Centered Community Care initiative. Requires the annual budget that the President submits to Congress to include specified information regarding: (1) the cost of providing, and the number of veterans receiving, medical care through contracts with Medicare providers; and (2) the number of VA employees on paid administrative leave during the preceding fiscal year. Directs the Secretary to establish policies penalizing VA employees who knowingly submit, or knowingly require another VA employee to submit, to another VA employee false data concerning health care wait times or quality measures. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) remove any individual from the VA's Senior Executive Service if the Secretary determines that the individual's performance warrants such removal, and (2) remove such individual from the civil service or appoint the individual to a General Schedule position at any grade the Secretary determines to be appropriate. Requires such removals to be performed in the same manner as removals of professional staff of Members of Congress.

Veterans Access to Care Accountability Act

United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2014

Veterans Access to Care Accountability Act - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct random, periodic audits of the medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Veterans Integrated Service Networks to determine if they are in compliance with legal and administrative standards requiring that veterans be provided timely access to health care from the VA. Requires the VA Secretary, upon the receipt of a specified report finding that a veteran has been subjected to a wait time of more than 30 days for health care from the VA, to: (1) notify the veteran, within 48 hours of receiving such report, of the status of the veteran's appointment; and (2) make every possible effort to schedule the veteran's appointment at a VA facility or through a non-VA health care provider on a date not later than 7 days after receiving such report. Requires the VA Inspector General to provide the Secretary with a list of the names of each director or other VA official responsible for activities at a VA medical facility who is found to have purposefully misrepresented patient records or other data in order to: (1) conceal a failure of the facility to comply with VA patient access or care standards, or (2) qualify for a performance award or any other compensation that is in addition to basic pay. Prohibits the Secretary from paying a bonus or award to any director or official on such list until the Secretary determines that all issues relating to the reasons why such director or official was included on such list have been resolved. Directs the Secretary to ensure that any performance review or consideration for promotion of a director or other VA official responsible for activities at a VA medical facility where such misrepresentation has occurred includes an evaluation of whether the director or other official knew or should have known about such misrepresentation. Prohibits the Inspector General from making the names of the individuals on the list public.

Bankruptcy Fairness and Employee Benefits Protection Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2014

Bankruptcy Fairness and Employee Benefits Protection Act of 2014 - Amends federal bankruptcy law to require the debtor in possession, prior to filing an application seeking rejection of a collective bargaining agreement, to propose only those minimum modifications to employee and retiree benefits and protections (including health insurance) that are necessary to prevent liquidation of the debtor. Requires a proposal which modifies employee or retired employee health insurance benefits to modify also the health insurance benefits of the debtor's officers and directors so that their benefits are not more generous than those of debtor's employees. Requires a proposal which modifies other employee benefits, including wages and pension benefits, also to modify such benefits of the debtor's officers and directors by an amount that, at a minimum, is equal to the percentage by which the employees' benefits are modified. Conditions court approval of an application for rejection of a collective bargaining agreement upon a finding that the debtor has established by clear and convincing evidence that modification of employee benefits and protections is the minimum modification necessary to prevent the debtor's liquidation. Declares that rejection of a collective bargaining agreement constitutes a breach of the agreement that entitles debtor's employees to a claim for damages. Grants any retirees whose benefits are modified by a court according to certain procedures a claim equal to the value of benefits lost as a result of the modification. Requires a debtor to pay cash to a retired employee making a claim in an amount equal to the two-year cost of premiums for: (1) continuation coverage; or (2) a comparable health insurance plan offered through a health care exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Authorizes the court to require the debtor to pay such retiree claim in an amount equal to the cost of premiums for continuation of coverage, or for such a health insurance plan, for more than two years. Prohibits allowance or payment of a bonus payment to an insider of the debtor, including an incentive-based bonus payment. Increases the priority claim amount for employee wages and benefits. Authorizes the court to prohibit a transfer of compensation made to an insider of the debtor within one year before the petition is filed if it finds that the transfer: (1) was not made in the ordinary course of business, or (2) resulted in unjust enrichment. Amends the Judicial Code to require that a case under bankruptcy law be commenced in the district court for the district in which the largest share of employees, retired employees, physical assets, and operations of the person or entity that is the subject of the case were located in the year immediately preceding commencement of the case. Requires a debtor in possession that sponsors a pension plan or is a member of the controlled group with respect to such a plan, or the trustee of the debtor in possession, to make all required pension contributions that fall due after filing the petition in bankruptcy. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require the mandatory summary description of a group health plan to declare: (1) whether the plan permits either the plan sponsor or any participating employer to unilaterally modify or terminate plan benefits affecting employees, retirees, and beneficiaries; and (2) when and to what extent plan benefits are fully vested with respect to these individuals. Presumes that retiree health benefits cannot be modified or terminated as of the date an employee retires or completes 20 years of service with the employer. Allows this presumption to be overcome only upon a showing, by clear and convincing evidence, that the employee, before becoming a plan participant, was made aware, in clear and unambiguous terms, that the plan allowed for such a modification or termination of benefits. Amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it an unfair labor practice for a labor organization and employer to enter into a contract or agreement to modify a previous agreement in a manner that results in a reduction or termination of retiree health insurance benefits, if the modification occurs after the retiree's retirement date. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report to Congress on strategies used by corporations to avoid obligations to pay promised employee and retiree benefits.

A resolution designating the week of October 27 through November 2, 2014, as "National Drug Take-Back Week", and designating October 2014 as "National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Abuse Awareness Month".

United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2014

Encourages a continuous national dialogue on efforts to combat prescription opioid abuse and heroin addiction and supports a holistic approach to addressing such abuse. Recognizes the commitment of law enforcement, first responder, and health personnel and other entities and organizations to addressing prescription opioid abuse and heroin addiction. Supports the goals of drug take-back efforts by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and its law enforcement partners and encourages the expansion of such efforts. Designates the week of October 27-November 2, 2014, as National Drug Take-Back Week and the month of October 2014 as National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Abuse Awareness Month. Encourages media organizations to raise awareness of prescription opioid and heroin use, particularly among youth.

A resolution designating June 2014 as "National Aphasia Awareness Month" and supporting efforts to increase awareness of aphasia.

United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2014

Designates June 2014 as National Aphasia Awareness Month. Expresses support for efforts to increase awareness of aphasia (a communication impairment caused by brain damage) and make the voices of people with aphasia heard. Acknowledges that aphasia deserves more attention and study to find new solutions for people experiencing aphasia and their caregivers.

Restoring Veterans Trust Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2014

Restoring Veterans Trust Act of 2014 - Revises veterans' benefit programs to address: veterans' access to medical care, including through measures that address the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA's) scheduling and performance management systems, VA health facility staffing shortages, and veterans' access to covered care at non-VA facilities; the expansion and extension of certain health care benefits, including caregiver support services, immunizations, chiropractic care, and treatment for traumatic brain injury; health care administration, including by extending the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Program; complementary and alternative medicine; mental health care; dental care eligibility and expansion, including by requiring the creation of a program of education to promote veterans' dental health; health care related to sexual trauma, including by requiring the provision of counseling and treatment to members of the Armed Forces and the development of a screening mechanism to detect incidents of domestic abuse; reproductive treatment and services, including by requiring the provision of fertility counseling and adoption assistance to severely wounded veterans; major medical facility leases; survivor and dependent matters, including the provision of benefits to the children of certain veterans who are born with spina bifida; education matters, including the approval of courses for purposes of the All-Volunteer Force and the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance programs; the extension of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs' authority to provide the same rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of the Armed Forces with severe injuries or illnesses as are provided to veterans; veterans' employment, including employment within the federal government; sanctions for federal contractors who repeatedly violate the employment and reemployment rights of members of the Armed Forces; small business matters, including contracting and subcontracting participation goals with federal departments and agencies; administrative matters, including by requiring the Secretary to establish regional support centers for Veterans Integrated Service Networks; the processing of disability claims, including those based on military sexual trauma, as well as claims for pensions and dependency and indemnity compensation; the manner in which hearings before the Board of Veterans' Appeals are to be conducted; certain rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, including protections regarding the expiration of professional licenses, the denial of credit or the termination of residential leases due to military service, and mortgage foreclosures against surviving spouses; and outreach and miscellaneous matters, including the repeal of a provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reduces the cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement pay of members of the Armed Forces who are under age 62.

Carl Levin National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015

United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2014

Carl Levin National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 - Authorizes FY2015 appropriations for military activities of the Department of Defense (DOD), military construction, and for national security activities of the Department of Energy (DOE). Authorizes military personnel strengths for FY2015. Authorizes FY2015 appropriations to DOD for: procurement, including aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and other procurement; research, development, test, and evaluation; operation and maintenance; military personnel; working capital funds; the National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund; chemical agents and munitions destruction; drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; the Office of the Inspector General; the Defense Health Program; and overseas contingency operations. Sets forth provisions or requirements concerning: end strengths for active and reserve forces; military personnel policy, including education and training, sexual assault prevention and response, and military justice and legal matters; military pay and allowances; military health care; acquisition policy and management, including major defense acquisition programs; DOD organization and management; financial matters; counter-drug activities; counterterrorism; civilian personnel matters; matters relating to foreign nations, including assistance and training; cooperative threat reduction; nuclear forces; space, intelligence, and cyberspace related matters; and military construction and military family housing. Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2015 for military construction for the Armed Forces and defense agencies. Authorizes appropriation for FY2015 to the Department of Energy for national security programs.

United States-Israel Alzheimer's Disease Cooperation Act

United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2014

United States-Israel Alzheimer's Disease Cooperation Act - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program of grants to support research on the development and commercialization of tools, treatments, and cures for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Requires eligible projects to be joint ventures between U.S. and Israeli non-governmental entities or the U.S. and Israeli governments. Establishes an advisory board to monitor the method by which grants are awarded and to provide performance reviews of actions taken to carry out this Act.

Keeping Well by Using Your Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Plan

United States · United States Congress · 2 June 2014

Keeping Well by Using Your Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Plan- Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct outreach efforts to provide specified health information to: (1) individuals enrolled in qualified health plans offered through an Exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), and (2) individuals enrolled in state plans (or under a waiver of such a plan) under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on: (1) the median cost-sharing responsibility of health services under qualified health plans offered through an Exchange in each state, and (2) the best method for making such information public.

Promoting Healthy Minds for Safer Communities Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014

Promoting Healthy Minds for Safer Communities Act of 2014 - Title I: Strengthening and Improving Intervention Efforts - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program to award grants to states, political subdivisions, or nonprofit private entities for the expansion of mental health crisis assistance programs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a community children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a public health approach to mental health services, including by: (1) revising eligibility requirements for a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement; and (2) providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, trauma-informed, and age appropriate. Requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. Makes only a partnership between a local educational agency and at least one community program or agency that is involved in mental health eligible for such funding. Sets forth assurances required for eligibility, including that: (1) the local education agency will enter into a memorandum of understanding with at least one relevant community-based entity that clearly states how school-employed mental health professionals will be utilized and the responsibilities of each partner; (2) the program will include training of all school personnel, family members of children with mental health disorders, and concerned members of the community; and (3) the program will demonstrate the measures to be taken to sustain the program after funding terminates. Requires grantees to comply with the health information privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Requires the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating grant program activities, including: (1) the development of guidelines for the submission of program data by recipients; and (2) the development of measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients in evaluating programs, to include student and family measures and local educational measures. Amends the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 to: (1) expand the assistance provided under such Act, and (2) reauthorize appropriations for FY2015-FY2019. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to establish or expand: (1) veterans treatment court programs, which involve collaboration among criminal justice, veterans, and mental health and substance abuse agencies to provide qualified veterans (preliminarily qualified offenders who were discharged from the armed forces under conditions other than dishonorable) with intensive judicial supervision and case management, treatment services, alternatives to incarceration, and other appropriate services, including housing, transportation, job training, education, and assistance in obtaining benefits; (2) peer to peer services or programs to assist such veterans in obtaining treatment, recovery, stabilization, or rehabilitation; (3) practices that identify and provide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, transitional, and other appropriate services to such veterans who have been incarcerated; and (4) training programs to teach criminal justice, law enforcement, corrections, mental health, and substance abuse personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving such veterans. Revises the definition of "preliminarily qualified offender" to include, in the case of a veterans treatment court program, an adult or juvenile accused of an offense who has been diagnosed with, or manifests obvious signs of, mental illness or a substance abuse disorder or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorder. Removes a requirement that the adult or juvenile be accused of a nonviolent offense. Requires preliminarily qualified offenders to be unanimously approved for participation in a collaboration program by, when appropriate, the relevant prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, probation or corrections official, judge, and representative from the relevant mental health agency. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to enhance the capabilities of a correctional facility to: (1) identify and screen for mentally ill inmates; (2) plan and provide assessments of the clinical, medical, and social needs of inmates and appropriate treatment and services that address mental health and substance abuse needs; (3) develop, implement, and enhance post-release transition plans that coordinate services and public benefits, the availability of mental health care and substance abuse treatment services, alternatives to solitary confinement and segregated housing, and mental health screening and treatment for inmates placed in solitary confinement or segregated housing; and (4) train employees in identifying and responding to incidents involving inmates with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) award not more than six grants per year to applicants for the purpose of reducing the use of public services by mentally ill individuals who consume a significantly disproportionate quantity of public resources, and (2) make grants to provide support for programs that teach law enforcement personnel how to identify and respond to incidents involving persons with such disorders. Directs the Attorney General to give priority in awarding grants for adult or juvenile collaboration programs to applications that: (1) propose interventions that have been shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism, and (2) use validated assessment tools to target preliminarily qualified offenders with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a need for treatment and services. Title II: Improving Mental Health Research - Directs the Secretary to expand research on self-directed and other-directed violence associated with mental illness. Title III: Understanding the Epidemic of Gun Violence - Requires the Secretary to expand: (1) the National Violent Death Reporting System to all 50 states, and (2) research and grants of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address gun violence. Authorizes FY2015-FY2019 appropriations for CDC research and grants. Title IV: Mental Health and Access to Firearms - Amends federal criminal code prohibitions on the sale, purchase, transport, or possession of firearms or ammunition to: (1) specify that prohibitions with respect to persons committed to a mental institution apply to persons committed on an involuntary inpatient or involuntary outpatient basis, and (2) expand the prohibitions to persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking. Expands the definition of: (1) "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include offenses by children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, or dating partners; and (2) "intimate partner" to include such individuals as well as parents and guardians. (Thus, adds such individuals to the categories of persons that may be prohibited from possessing or receiving guns under domestic violence laws.) Authorizes the Attorney General to reserve not more than 5% of Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds for grants to states that: (1) give state and local law enforcement the authority to seize firearms or ammunition from an individual pursuant to a warrant, where there is probable cause to believe the individual possessing such firearms or ammunition poses an elevated risk of harm to himself or herself or to another individual; or (2) temporarily prohibit an individual involuntarily hospitalized for mental illness on an emergency basis from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Directs the Attorney General to establish a system for the prompt notification of state and local enforcement agencies when the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) notifies a licensed dealer that an individual attempting to obtain a firearm is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal or state law. Title V: Restoration - Amends the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 to set forth requirements for persons adjudicated to have a mental disorder or committed to a mental institution to apply for relief (restoration of firearm ownership rights) after one year by submitting an opinion of a psychiatrist or licensed clinical psychologist in order to seek a determination by the adjudicating agency that the person no longer manifests the symptoms that elevate the risk of harm. Title VI: Submission of Mental Health Records to National Instant Criminal Background Check System - Requires the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to report annually to Congress regarding the number of persons reported by each state to NICS who are prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm based on a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Reauthorizes the national criminal history improvement program for FY2015-FY2018. Requires the Attorney General to establish a four-year implementation plan for each state or Indian tribal government desiring a grant to improve the automation and transmittal to federal and state repositories of: (1) mental health records and criminal history dispositions, (2) records relevant to determining whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, (3) court orders, and (4) mental health adjudications or commitments. Requires each federal agency in possession of records relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under specified circumstances to make such records, updated at least quarterly, available to the Attorney General for use in NICS background checks. Directs HHS, under HIPAA, to allow states to make information concerning persons adjudicated as a mental defective or those committed to mental institutions available for NICS.

Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014

Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act of 2014 - 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 anesthetist in such hospitals.

Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Extension Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014

Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Extension Act of 2014 - Amends the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to extend the rural community hospital demonstration program from five through 10 years.

Safeguarding Classrooms Hurt by ObamaCare's Obligatory Levies

United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014

Safeguarding Classrooms Hurt by ObamaCare's Obligatory Levies - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude any elementary or secondary school, state or local educational agency, and institution of higher education from the definition of "applicable large employer" for purposes of the employer mandate to provide health care coverage for employees. Directs the Secretary of Education to study and report on the impact of the employer health insurance mandate on educational agencies and institutions before and after the enactment of this Act.

Condemning the senseless rampage and mass shooting that took place in Isla Vista, California, on Friday, May 23, 2014.

United States · United States Congress · 30 May 2014

Condemns the mass shooting in Isla Vista, California, on May 23, 2014. Offers condolences to the Isla Vista and University of California, Santa Barbara, communities. Encourages a dialogue on all aspects of this tragedy, including the nation's mental health care system, anger, firearms laws, and harmful attitudes toward women. Honors the dedicated service of the law enforcement and emergency personnel who responded to, and who continue to investigate, the attack. Expresses a commitment to preventing such tragedies from happening again.

Fit for Life Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014

Fit for LIFE Act of 2014 - Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make grants to create or expand the offering of an innovative food distribution project that: serves a low-income area or one that is a food desert (an area without ready access to fresh, healthful, and affordable food) or food swamp (an area with an abundance of less healthful food options); is not supermarket-based; provides free or low-cost delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables; provides for the acquisition of produce trucks to distribute food without service or delivery charges; or provides for the establishment of a community food market at which fresh fruits and vegetables are sold at a low cost. Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to: (1) expand the availability of free fruits and vegetables in elementary and secondary schools, child care centers, and family child care homes; (2) expand summer food service programs for children; and (3) establish a program providing nutritious food to at-risk school children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the school year. Directs the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to study physical activity by juveniles in juvenile justice facilities and the nutritional quality of meals and snacks served in the facilities. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program to enable local and tribal governments to conduct food security assessments. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of HHS to establish programs to reduce and prevent obesity in children. Requires the Secretaries of Education and HHS to award grants for health and fitness programs in secondary schools in low-income communities. Requires the Secretary of HHS to award grants to states for a community navigator program. Expands coverage of obesity treatment and prevention programs and services in federal programs. Establishes the National Commission on Child Obesity. Sets forth grant programs to increase physical activity in low-income communities and schools and prevent childhood obesity, including through the upgrading of educational facilities and child care centers and community use of elementary and secondary school buildings.

Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Therapy Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014

Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Therapy Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to include recreational therapy services among the therapeutic modalities that constitute an intensive rehabilitation therapy program in determining whether inpatient services in an inpatient rehabilitation facility are reasonable and necessary.

Veterans' Health Accountability Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014

Veterans' Health Accountability Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a voucher for the market price of the needed service for use at a non-VA facility for any veteran who has been denied health care at any VA facility on a timely basis (defined as one day for procedures and seven calendar days for tests). Makes all veterans eligible for VA-paid care from non-VA facilities, and directs the Secretary of the VA to immediately prepare for the privatization of all VA facilities within one calendar year , if more than 10% of the Veterans Health Administration's budget goes toward such health vouchers.

Veterans' Health Care Flexibility Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014

Veterans' Health Care Flexibility Act - Allows veterans who are eligible to receive hospital care and medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to elect to receive such care and services at non-VA facilities. Directs the VA Secretary to contract with non-VA facilities to furnish hospital care and medical services to such veterans.

Medicare Transitional Care Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 29 May 2014

Medicare Transitional Care Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover transitional care services for qualified individuals provided by a transitional care clinician acting as an employee of a qualified transitional care entity, such as a hospital (or a critical care hospital), a home health agency, a primary care practice, a federally qualified health center or rural health clinic, a long-term care facility, a medical home, an appropriate community-based organization, an assisted living center, or an accountable care organization.

Standard of Care Protection Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2014

Standard of Care Protection Act of 2014 - Provides that the development, recognition, or implementation of any guideline or other standard under any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health care-related parts of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act shall not be construed to: (1) establish the standard or duty of care owed by a health care provider to a patient in any medical malpractice or medical product liability action or claim, or (2) preempt any standard or duty of care established under state or common law. Prohibits such health care provisions from being construed to preempt any state or common law governing medical professional or medical product liability actions or claims.

Robin Danielson Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2014

Robin Danielson Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide for the conduct or support of research on the extent to which components, including contaminants and substances used as fragrances, in feminine hygiene products pose any risks to the health of women or the health of the children of women who use those products during or before the pregnancies involved.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to childhood stroke and recognizing May 2014 as "National Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month".

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2014

Recognizes National Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month. Supports the work of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in pursuit of medical progress on pediatric stroke.

Improving Trauma Care Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Improving Trauma Care Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act, with respect to trauma care and research programs, to include in the definition of "trauma" an injury resulting from extrinsic agents other than mechanical force, including those that are thermal, electrical, chemical, or radioactive.

Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for trauma care programs through FY2019. Requires that not more than 50% of amounts remaining for a fiscal year after FY2014 (after allocation for administrative purposes or for improvement of emergency medical services in rural areas) be allocated for competitive grants to support pilot projects for emergency care and trauma systems. Requires the inclusion of standards and requirements of the American Burn Association in trauma care modifications of a state plan for providing emergency medical services.

Increasing Medical Oversight in the Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Increasing Medical Oversight in the Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2014 - Establishes the Office of the Medical Inspector of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) within the Office of the Under Secretary for Health. Includes among the functions of the Office to: review the quality of health care provided to veterans by the VA generally and by the VA through contracts with non-VA health care providers; review offices of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) that have an impact on the quality of health care provided to veterans by the VA and the performance of the VA in providing such care; review VHA offices and facilities to ensure that VA and VHA policies and procedures are applied consistently; investigate any systemic issues that arise within VHA, including improper issuance of credentials and privileges to health care providers, impediments to access to VA health care, wait times for appointments at VA medical facilities in excess of VA goals, and intentional falsification by VA employees of information regarding wait times; establish temporary investigative teams to carry out reviews in response to specific incidents or inquiries, including veterans' complaints and potential systemic issues within VHA that may require the conduct of surveys, the collection of data, and the analysis of VA databases; recommend policies to promote economy and efficiency in the administration of, and to prevent and detect criminal activity, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in, VHA programs and operations; and report on problems or deficiencies encountered in VHA programs and operations and recommend corrective actions.

Field EMS Innovation Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Field EMS Innovation Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to designate the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the primary federal agency for emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma care. Establishes the Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma (or Office of EMS and Trauma) within HHS. Gives the Office responsibilities related to emergency medical services and authorizes the Secretary of HHS to delegate additional responsibilities related to EMS. Requires the Director of the Office to: (1) implement a national EMS strategy; (2) establish the EQUIP grant program to promote excellence, quality, universal access, innovation, and preparedness in field EMS; and (3) establish the SPIA grant program to improve EMS system performance, integration, and accountability, to ensure preparedness, to enhance oversight and data collection, and to promote standardization of certifications. Defines "field EMS" to mean emergency medical services provided to patients (including transport by ground, air, or otherwise) prior to or outside a medical facility or other clinical setting. Requires the Director to improve medical oversight of field EMS, including by: (1) promoting the development and adoption of national guidelines for medical oversight, and (2) convening a Field EMS Medical Oversight Advisory Committee. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study issues related to emergency medical care in field EMS. Authorizes the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to maintain, improve, and expand the National EMS Information System. Sets forth reporting requirements relating to data collection and electronic health records. Declares that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) shall not be construed to prohibit certain exchanges of information between field EMS practitioners, hospital personnel, state EMS offices, and the National EMS Database. Requires the Secretary to establish guidelines for the exchange of information between field EMS practitioners and hospital personnel. Authorizes the Director of the Office to make grants for the development, availability, and dissemination of field EMS education programs and courses that improve the quality and capability of field EMS personnel. Requires the Director to conduct or support demonstrations projects relating to alternative dispositions of field EMS patients. Amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, and Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act to include field EMS as a model for testing by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to conduct research and evaluation relating to field EMS through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Requires the Director of AHRQ to establish a Field EMS Evidence-Based Practice Center. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish the Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund, and (2) allow taxpayers to designate a portion of any income tax overpayment and make additional contributions to finance such Fund.

Certify It Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Certify It Act of 2014 - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on small businesses and the Office of the Actuary, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to study the Act's impact on small group health insurance costs. Declares that, if GAO or the Office of the Actuary reports to Congress that PPACA has caused either net employment loss amongst small businesses or small group health insurance costs to rise, certain PPACA assessments that may be imposed on employers for failing to offer their full-time employees (and their dependents) the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential coverage shall not apply for a specified one-year period. Declares further that, if GAO or the Office fails to submit such a report in accordance with specified timelines, such assessments shall not apply during the following calendar year.

A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to childhood stroke and recognizing May 2014 as "National Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month".

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Recognizes May 2014 as National Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month. Supports the work of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in pursuit of medical progress on pediatric stroke.

Medal of Honor Priority Care Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Medal of Honor Priority Care Act - Increases, from third to first, the priority for enrollment in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system given to medal of honor recipients, regardless of the date on which the medal is awarded.

Certify It Act of 2014

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Certify It Act of 2014 - Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) on small businesses and the Office of the Actuary, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to study the Act's impact on small group health insurance costs. Declares that, if GAO or the Office of the Actuary reports to Congress that PPACA has caused either net employment loss amongst small businesses or small group health insurance costs to rise, certain PPACA assessments that may be imposed on employers for failing to offer their full-time employees (and their dependents) the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential coverage shall not apply for a specified one-year period. Declares further that, if GAO or the Office fails to submit such a report in accordance with specified timelines, such assessments shall not apply during the following calendar year.

Health Care Fairness and Stability Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Health Care Fairness and Stability Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to provide a temporary shift in the scheduled collection of payments for the transitional reinsurance program intended to help stabilize premiums for coverage in the individual health insurance markets from 2014 through 2016. Amends PPACA to delay the collection of reinsurance payments from health insurance issuers and third party administrators of certain self-insured group health plans until January 1, 2018. Amends PPACA to change the formula for determining the amount of contributions collected for payments to health insurance issuers that cover high risk individuals in the individual market.  

Supporting the goals and ideals of May 23 as the "International Day to End Obstetric Fistula" to significantly raise awareness and intensify actions towards ending obstetric fistula.

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2014

Expresses support the goals and ideals of the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula to significantly raise awareness and intensify actions towards ending obstetric fistula (a childbirth injury).

DELIVERING BETTER HEALTH CARE VALUE TO CONSUMERS: THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THE MEDICAL LOSS RATIO

United States · United States Senate · 21 May 2014

A bill to authorize the appropriation of funds to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention.

United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014

Authorizes appropriations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for each of FY2015-FY2020 to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention under the Public Health Service Act.

A resolution recognizing that cardiovascular disease continues to be an overwhelming threat to women's health and the importance of providing basic, preventive heart screenings to women wherever they seek primary care.

United States · United States Congress · 21 May 2014

States that the Senate: (1) recognizes that heart disease remains the number one killer of women in the United States and that basic, preventive heart disease screenings are recommended to be a routine part of women's health care; (2) recognizes the importance of making such screening available for women as recommended; and (3) commits to improving the heart health of all women, tearing down barriers that prevent women from getting screened for heart disease, ensuring women are provided with personalized lifestyle modification recommendations and support, and ensuring every woman has a healthy heart.