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351 records in US in 2020
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2020
This resolution designates September 2020 as National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month and expresses support for further research of treatments, therapies, and a cure for spinal cord injuries and individuals living with paralysis.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2020
Permanently Uniting Pets Stateside Act or the PUPS Act This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to permit the entry of a pet (i.e., a domestic dog, cat, or bird) into the United States if it is accompanying a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien who has been living or traveling abroad and is returning to the United States during a public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2020 This bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for specified diseases associated with exposure to open burn pits (an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment) and other toxins by veterans who meet certain criteria. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded. The bill also makes disability or death from certain diseases due to service in support of a military operation for at least 15 days in a specified location compensable as a work injury.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
Bringing Enhanced Treatments and Therapies to ESRD Recipients Kidney Care Act or the BETTER Kidney Care Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a demonstration program for Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Under the program, renal dialysis facilities, kidney disease specialists, physician practices, and other health care practitioners may form an organization that partners with certain health care entities to provide integrated care to beneficiaries with ESRD. Such care must include all covered Medicare benefits as well as transition services for transplantations, palliative care, and hospice. Each organization must have a minimum number or percentage of participating beneficiaries (350 or 60% of beneficiaries served at the organization's facilities) and must also comply with certain fiscal, governance, and quality of care requirements. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must study certain data that is reported to the CMS regarding pediatric dialysis care, as well as the effects of race-based corrections to a specified kidney function test on referrals of ESRD patients for transplant evaluations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2020 This bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for specified diseases associated with exposure to open burn pits (an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment) and other toxins by veterans who meet certain criteria. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded. The bill also makes disability or death from certain diseases due to service in support of a military operation for at least 15 days in a specified location compensable as a work injury.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
Collaborative Academic Research Efforts for Tourette Syndrome Act of 2020 or the CARE for Tourette Syndrome Act of 2020 This bill requires the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH research on Tourette syndrome. The NIH must (1) develop a system to collect data on Tourette syndrome, including epidemiological information and data on the availability of medical and social services for individuals with Tourette syndrome and their families; (2) support Collaborative Research Centers for Tourette Syndrome to conduct basic and clinical research; (3) award grants for research on Tourette syndrome symptoms and treatment options for particular patient subpopulations; and (4) designate funding to carry out Tourette syndrome programs and activities.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
This resolution designates September 4, 2020, as National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Day and recognizes the need for additional research to find a cure.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
Bringing Enhanced Treatments and Therapies to ESRD Recipients (BETTER) Kidney Care Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a demonstration program for Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Under the program, renal dialysis facilities, kidney disease specialists, physician practices, and other health care practitioners may form an organization that partners with certain health care entities to provide integrated care to beneficiaries with ESRD. Such care must include all covered Medicare benefits as well as transition services for transplantations, palliative care, and hospice. Each organization must have a minimum number or percentage of participating beneficiaries (350 or 60% of beneficiaries served at the organization's facilities) and must also comply with certain fiscal, governance, and quality of care requirements. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must study certain data that is reported to the CMS regarding pediatric dialysis care, as well as the effects of race-based corrections to a specified kidney function test on referrals of ESRD patients for transplant evaluations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
Make PPE in America Act This bill requires procurement contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) to be long-term and for domestically manufactured PPE. Specifically, contracts entered into by the Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Defense, Education, or Veterans Affairs for the procurement of PPE must be for a duration of at least three years, including a base period and all option periods, to incentivize investment in the production of PPE, and materials and components of PPE, in the United States. The bill provides exceptions (1) where a nonavailability determination has been made, (2) where a sufficient quantity of a satisfactory quality cannot be procured as and when needed at U.S. market prices, and (3) where the department certifies every 120 days that it is necessary to procure PPE under alternate procedures to respond to the immediate needs of a public health emergency. Such departments may transfer to the Strategic National Stockpile any excess PPE acquired under a contract.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
This resolution designates September 2020 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2020
Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act of 2020 or the Veterans COMPACT Act of 2020 This bill implements programs, policies, and reports related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transition assistance, suicide care, mental health education and treatment, health care, and women veteran care. Among other requirements, the VA must carry out a pilot program on information sharing between the VA and designated persons regarding the assistance and benefits available to veterans; furnish or pay for emergent suicide care, including transportation costs, at a VA or non-VA facility for certain veterans who are in an acute suicidal crisis; establish a program for the education and training of caregivers and family members of veterans with mental health disorders; establish the Task Force on Outdoor Recreation for Veterans to make recommendations regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for medical treatment and therapy for certain veterans; seek to contact certain veterans who have not recently received care to encourage them to receive comprehensive physical, mental health, eye, and audiological examinations; provide VA police officers with annual training on the prevention of suicide among the population it serves; complete an analysis and report on its programs that provide assistance to women veterans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the needs of such women; and annually report on the use of VA health care by women veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2020
The Dr. Joseph Costa Honoring Essential Americans Risking Their Safety Act of 2020 This bill establishes a compensation program for, and registry to monitor the health of, certain individuals who worked in hospitals during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. It also establishes educational benefits for eligible individuals who provided care to residents of long-term care, skilled nursing, post-acute care, and other nursing facilities during the emergency. With respect to hospital workers, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide funds to hospitals in COVID-19 hot spots for supplemental payments for workers who provide direct care, which may include cleaning and other nonmedical activities, to COVID-19 patients during the emergency. Additionally, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) must develop a voluntary registry of physicians, nurses, and non-physician health care specialists who worked at a hospital or other care site during the emergency and must monitor the long-term health status of individuals on this registry who test positive for COVID-19. NIOSH must also make the registry available to public health researchers and may award grants to states to facilitate its development. With respect to the educational benefits, the Department of Education or HHS must repay or cancel a percentage of certain loans for each six-month period an individual works in a qualifying facility, subject to a maximum percentage cap. HHS must also provide eligible individuals with an educational grant, subject to certain conditions, to obtain post-secondary credentials for health care careers in nursing care facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2020
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Balance Awareness Week and recognizes the importance of raising public awareness about vestibular (inner ear balance) disorders.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2020
Ensuring Transparent Honest Information on COVID-19 Act or the ETHIC Act This bill retroactively requires states and other jurisdictions to report specified COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a condition of receiving certain COVID-19 funding. It also directs the CDC and others to take additional actions to address public health data systems, public health infrastructure, and health disparities. Specifically, the bill directs the CDC to improve its data systems, develop relevant data and technology systems, and expand its public health infrastructure. The CDC must also award grants to government health departments to modernize their data systems, infrastructure, and collection of health disparities data. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services must commission a study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on public health data infrastructure, and the Indian Health Service must, as advised by a panel of tribal representatives, conduct research on health inequities among tribal populations, including inequities related to COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2020
Ending Health Disparities During COVID-19 Act of 2020 or the EHDC Act of 2020 This bill expands COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) relief efforts, expands data collection and health literacy, supports research, promotes diversity in the health professional workforce, increases access to telehealth and other health care, and otherwise addresses the health of minority populations and immigrants. For example, the bill provides funding for emergency aid and services, grants to address COVID-19 health inequities, grants to address social determinants of health, and payments for language services. It also expands COVID-19 testing and contact tracing.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2020
Rural Ambulance Reimbursement Fairness Act This bill applies a higher payment rate for ambulance services under Medicare that are provided by certain critical access hospitals (CAHs) or CAH-owned entities in mountainous terrain or in areas with only secondary roads. Currently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must pay 101% of the reasonable costs incurred for ambulance services provided by a CAH or by a CAH-owned entity if the CAH or entity is the only provider or supplier of ambulance services within a 35-mile drive of such CAH. The bill applies this payment rate to services provided by a CAH or entity that is the only provider or supplier of ambulance services within a 15-mile drive of such CAH in mountainous terrain or an area with only secondary roads.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2020
This resolution supports the designation of National Student Sleep Health Week and recognizes the importance of policies to improve sleep health in children and adolescents. It also encourages public health officials, educators, parents, and others to promote adequate sleep.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2020
Promoting Effective and Empowering Recovery Services in Medicare Act of 2020 or the PEERS Act of 2020 This bill specifies that peer support specialists may participate in the provision of behavioral health integration services with the supervision of a physician or other entity under Medicare. The bill defines peer support specialists as individuals who are recovering from a mental health or substance-use condition and have certain national or state credentials, as specified, to provide peer support services.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2020
COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act of 2020 This bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to award grants, and the Office of Minority Health (OMH) to develop a plan, to address health disparities related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the CDC, in coordination with certain departments and agencies, must award grants for contact tracing to, among others, public health departments and health care providers. In awarding these grants, the CDC shall prioritize entities with a demonstrated commitment to employing individuals who represent the demographic groups in the community served by the entity. The CDC must also work with states to update certain COVID-19 testing plans to address testing for populations experiencing COVID-19 health disparities. Additionally, the CDC must award grants to public health departments, tribal organizations, and others for public awareness campaigns on COVID-19 health disparities and, upon the availability of a vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine safety. For these grants, the CDC must give priority to entities serving populations that experience COVID-19 health disparities and low rates of vaccinations, respectively. The CDC must undertake a separate COVID-19 public awareness campaign, as well. In addition, the OMH must develop, within 30 days, an action plan on COVID-19 health disparities that addresses, among other issues, barriers to COVID-19 data collection. The OMH must coordinate with the CDC and others on this plan and update it at least every 30 days during the COVID-19 emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2020
Protect Black Women and Girls Act of 2020 This bill establishes an Interagency Task Force to examine the conditions and experiences of Black women and girls to identify and assess the efficacy of policies and programs of federal, state, and local governments designed to improve outcomes for such individuals and to make recommendations to improve such policies and programs. The task force shall (1) cover issues involving Black women and girls in education, economic development, health care, justice and civil rights, and housing; and (2) submit recommendations at specified intervals to Congress, the President, and each state or local government on policies, practices, programs, and incentives that may be adopted to improve outcomes. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights shall conduct a comprehensive study and collect data with respect to the effects on Black women and girls of a wide range of specified economic, health, criminal justice, and social services factors.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2020
COVid Enrollment Response Act or the COVER Act This bill provides funds through FY2021 for the navigator program for health insurance exchanges (a program through which entities receive funding to provide education and enrollment assistance), particularly to help unemployed individuals and other specified populations obtain coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2020
Tribal Health Data Improvement Act of 2020 This bill expands tribal access to public health care data and public health surveillance programs. It also reauthorizes through FY2025 the National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and requires the CDC to take certain actions to address the collection and availability of health data for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services must (1) establish a strategy for providing data access to Indian tribes and tribal epidemiology centers; and (2) make available all requested data related to health care and public health surveillance programs and activities to the Indian Health Service, tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal epidemiology centers. Next, the CDC must make grants to and enter into contracts with tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal epidemiology centers for data collection and related activities. Among other things, the CDC must (1) develop guidance for state and local health agencies to improve birth and death record data for American Indians and Alaska Natives; (2) enter into cooperative agreements with tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, and tribal epidemiology centers to analyze and address certain inaccuracies related to records for American Indians and Alaska Natives; (3) adopt uniform standards for the collection of health data on race and ethnicity; and (4) encourage states to enter into data sharing agreements with tribes and tribal epidemiology centers to improve the quality and accuracy of health data.
United States · United States Senate · 9 September 2020
United States · United States Senate · 9 September 2020
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2020
America First Vaccine Act This bill prohibits a U.S.-headquartered manufacturer of a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine that was developed with federal pandemic relief funding from distributing it outside of the United States, unless the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) certifies that domestic need for the vaccine already has been met. However, HHS may waive the certification requirement and permit distribution outside of the United States if HHS makes a determination that such distribution would be in the interest of U.S. public health. A manufacturer that violates the requirement must reimburse the federal government for all amounts received by the manufacturer in support of development of the vaccine, plus interest.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2020
This bill requires the federal government to pay states for 100% of the cost of National Guard duty for a mission assignment validated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency pursuant to certain declarations related to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill applies to declarations, with respect to COVID-19, of major disasters, emergencies, national emergencies, and public health emergencies.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
Biosimilar Insulin Access Act of 2020 This bill establishes that, if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finds that an insulin is biosimilar to a reference product, the insulin shall be deemed interchangeable with the reference product. (A biological product is biosimilar to a reference product if the two products are highly similar and have no clinically meaningful differences; the reference product generally receives FDA approval first, but the biosimilar product is typically less expensive.) Under current law, a biological product that is biosimilar to a reference product may be deemed interchangeable with the reference product only if it meets additional requirements. Current law provides that interchangeable products may be substituted for each other without the prescriber's involvement.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
Jack Reynold's Memory MediGap Expansion This bill expands guaranteed issue rights with respect to Medigap policies (Medicare supplemental health insurance policies) to all beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease. (Guaranteed issue rights require that a policy be offered to any eligible applicant without regard to health status.)
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
COVID Community Care Act This bill provides FY2020 supplemental funding for the Department of Health and Human Services and the Indian Health Service to implement programs to prevent and respond to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) in medically underserved areas and among tribal populations, respectively. The bill designates the funding as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act of 2020 This bill requires certain providers, as a condition of Medicare participation, to limit mandatory overtime for nurses. Specifically, the bill prohibits hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, home health agencies, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and other specified providers from requiring nurses to work (1) more than a previously scheduled shift, 48 hours in a workweek, or 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period; or (2) during the 10 hours immediately following the 12th hour worked in a shift during a 24-hour period. Qualifying work hours include time spent in training, on call, and on standby. The bill's provisions do not apply during declared emergencies or disasters, subject to specified conditions, and do not preclude voluntary overtime. The bill also establishes (1) certain protections for nurses who file complaints against providers, (2) documentation and notice requirements for providers, and (3) potential civil penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
Reinvigorating the Economy, Creating Opportunity for every Vocation, Employer, Retiree & Youth Act or the RECOVERY Act This bill revises provisions in the tax code; modifies the liability of employers, public officials, and other entities; makes various changes to help schools, employers, and industries respond to COVID-19 (i.e. coronavirus disease 2019); and otherwise addresses economic growth. It also modifies congressional oversight of regulations, including by requiring approval for certain rules. Among other things, the bill establishes and expands various tax credits, deductions, and exclusions from income for individuals and businesses and temporarily suspends payroll taxes. Additionally, the bill limits the liability, under some conditions, of employers, health care providers, and other entities for COVID-19 exposures. It also imposes liability on public officials with authority to direct law enforcement agencies for losses that occur in areas that a law enforcement agency has been instructed not to access during riots. Furthermore, it revises multiple COVID-19 response activities, including by restricting eligibility for unemployment compensation, extending particular business loans and payroll support programs, and establishing sunset dates for spending COVID-19 funds. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Education to use a specified percentage of COVID-19 funds to support certain scholarship-granting organizations. It also establishes an alternate approval process for coronavirus drugs and other medical products approved for sale in another country; expands interstate telehealth access; and makes other changes to health insurance plans, health savings accounts, and retirement accounts. The bill also creates tax incentives and other programs to support mining, petroleum, pharmaceutical, aviation, and other industries.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
Ally's Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover certain hearing devices and systems (e.g., bone-anchored auditory implants) and related items and services. The bill also imposes limits on cost sharing.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
Taxpayer Research and Coronavirus Knowledge Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with specified federal agencies, to compile a public, searchable database of federal contracts, tax benefits, and other support for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) biomedical research and development, including information regarding the source and amount of such support. HHS must develop the database within one month and periodically update it.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2020 This bill establishes within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a National Center on Antiracism and Health and a law enforcement violence prevention program. Among other activities, the new center must declare racism a public health crisis, collect and analyze data, and administer research and grant programs to address racism and its impact on health and well-being. Additionally, the bill specifically directs the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, in coordination with the Department of Justice and other relevant stakeholders, to carry out the law enforcement violence prevention program by conducting research and supporting other activities pertaining to law enforcement violence and public health.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 2020
This bill excludes the creation of separate payment classes and monthly payment rates for oxygen items under Medicare from certain budget neutrality requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 2020
Coronavirus Testing Capacity Expansion Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to directly reimburse laboratories for certain tests and related services during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency and expands the categories of laboratories eligible for certain COVID-19 relief funding. Specifically, veterinary and biotechnology company laboratories may receive federal COVID-19 funds for activities related to testing. Currently, this funding is limited to academic, commercial, public health, or hospital laboratories.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 2020
Renal Anemia Innovation Support and Expansion Act or the RAISE Act This bill allows coverage of prescription vitamin and mineral products under the Medicare prescription drug benefit if the products are administered orally and are used to treat iron deficiency anemia in individuals who have chronic kidney disease.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 2020
Science in Blood Donation Act of 2020 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revise its guidance on reducing the risk of transmitting by blood transfusion human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B. Specifically, the FDA shall update its guidance to remove recommendations to not receive blood donations from a man who had sex with another man in the past three months. The FDA shall also remove recommendations to not receive blood donations from a woman who in the last three months had sex with such a man. The FDA's updated guidance shall be based on an individual risk assessment of sexual behaviors that evaluate all donors equally without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 2020
Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2020 This bill allows the use of hemp, cannabidiol (i.e., CBD) derived from hemp, or any other ingredient derived from hemp in a dietary supplement, provided that the supplement meets other applicable requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 September 2020
Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2020 This bill establishes within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a National Center on Antiracism and Health and a law enforcement violence prevention program. Among other activities, the new center must declare racism a public health crisis, collect and analyze data, and administer research and grant programs to address racism and its impact on health and well-being. Additionally, the bill specifically directs the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, in coordination with the Department of Justice and other relevant stakeholders, to carry out the law enforcement violence prevention program by conducting research and supporting other activities pertaining to law enforcement violence and public health.
United States · United States Congress · 1 September 2020
Testing, Researching, and Expanding Alternative Treatments Act or the TREAT Act This bill addresses Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot programs related to complementary and integrative health services. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to expand the pilot program on using complementary and integrative health services (e.g., meditation) to complement pain management and mental health treatment for veterans. The bill also requires the VA to implement a three-year pilot program to provide complementary and integrative health services (e.g., animal therapy) to eligible veterans for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or anxiety. Eligible veterans are those who are enrolled in the VA health care system and have received care from the VA or rehabilitation or counseling services from a Vet Center within the last two years. The VA must enter agreements with academic researchers to study the effectiveness of the treatments in the pilot program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 September 2020
This resolution recognizes the negative effects of systemic and institutional racism on the ability of Black women to meet breastfeeding guidelines. It also recognizes that the barriers created by racism contribute to health disparities and identifies policies to mitigate these barriers.
United States · United States Congress · 1 September 2020
Investing in Community Healing Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to research adverse health impacts associated with violent interactions with law enforcement and carry out activities to promote access to, and awareness of, trauma support services and mental and behavioral health care among racial and ethnic minority groups. Specifically, HHS must (1) award grants to community-based programs or organizations to increase access to appropriate services and care, and (2) conduct an educational campaign to raise awareness of mental and behavioral health issues and reduce stigma associated with such conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 September 2020
Imported Seafood Testing Act This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inspect a certain amount of imported seafood each year and contains other provisions related to imported seafood. Specifically, the FDA must inspect at least 20% of all imported seafood each year and must also inspect the first 15 shipments imported into the United States by a new exporter. The bill also imposes various requirements and penalties for failed inspections, including by (1) requiring the destruction of a shipment that would have caused significant health risks, and (2) barring imports from a country with a pattern of failed inspections. The bill also imposes civil penalties for knowingly making a false statement with respect to such inspections or misbranding imported seafood.
United States · United States Congress · 1 September 2020
Patient Access to Medical Foods Act This bill provides for coverage of medical foods under Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and TRICARE. The bill also requires private health insurance providers to cover medical foods. Generally, a medical food is a food prescribed by a physician for the dietary management of a disease or condition. The bill expands this definition to include a food prescribed as a therapeutic option when a physician determines that traditional therapies are inappropriate for the patient. This definition shall apply to the insurance programs described above and to a federal grant program to encourage the development of drugs and medical foods for rare diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 1 September 2020
Ensuring Telehealth Expansion Act of 2020 This bill extends through December 31, 2025, several telehealth flexibilities that were initially authorized during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), such as expanded Medicare coverage of such services.
United States · United States Congress · 1 September 2020
Surplus Utilization of Pharmaceutical Products Leveraged In Emergency Scenarios Act of 2020 or the SUPPLIES Act of 2020 This bill excludes certain short-dated drugs from rebate calculations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill excludes from such calculations direct sales of drugs that (1) have a shelf life of one year or more and expire one year after the date of sale, or (2) have a shelf life of less than one year and expire after the same number of days as the shelf life following the date of sale.
United States · United States Congress · 1 September 2020
Strengthening Mental Health Supports for BIPOC Communities Act This bill requires states and other jurisdictions that receive certain block grants for community mental health services and substance abuse prevention and treatment to report on services and outreach provided through those grants to members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
United States · United States Congress · 1 September 2020
Safe Considerations of the Health Of Our Learning Students Act or SCHOOLS Act This bill requires a study on safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) in schools. It also establishes a grant program to assist state educational agencies with implementing health and safety measures in schools. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must study and report on the safety precautions necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in schools. The study must address (1) the minimum criteria that a community needs to meet to reopen schools for full-time in-person instruction; and (2) the best practices for such criteria, including with respect to public health capacity to conduct testing and contact tracing in the community. Additionally, the study must address the practices for crisis response personnel in schools, including the designation of at least one staff member to provide crisis response in each school. Further, the study must recommend practices related to staffing, facility conditions, transportation, and the organization of classes and other group settings. Finally, the Department of Education must award grants for state educational agencies to (1) implement guidance from the CDC related to health and safety measures; and (2) carry out certain activities, such as purchasing sanitation supplies. To receive a grant, a state educational agency must, among other things, offer remote digital learning options to students for the 2020-2021 school year. These grants may not be used to support private schools or for vouchers.
United States · United States Congress · 28 August 2020
COVID-19 Home Safety Act of 2020 This bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to report, and make available to the public, information about injuries and deaths from consumer products during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The report must be submitted every three months for the duration of the emergency.