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401 records in US in 2015
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Medical Practice Freedom Act of 2015 This bill prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services or any state from requiring a health care provider, as a condition of the provider's licensure, to participate in a health plan or comply with requirements for meaningful use of electronic health records.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants to public and nonprofit private health care providers to expand training and support services for families and caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day. Encourages: (1) primary care physicians and other clinicians to become actively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services; (2) the media to observe this Awareness Day by educating clinicians about the important role they play in providing access to HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral services and by educating clinicians and the public about the benefits of HIV testing; and (3) individuals to get tested for HIV and educate themselves about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish a report at least every 10 years that contains physical activity recommendations for the general public based on the most current scientific and medical knowledge, including information for population subgroups, as needed. HHS must publish updated reports that detail evidence-based practices and highlight continuing physical activity issues between the publications of full reports. Updated reports may focus on particular population subgroups or issues relating to physical activity.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2015
Safe and Affordable Prescription Drugs Act of 2015 Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promulgate regulations within 180 days permitting individuals to import a prescription drug purchased from an approved foreign pharmacy that: is dispensed by a pharmacist licensed in that country; is purchased for personal use in quantities not greater than a 90-day supply; is filled using a valid prescription issued by a physician licensed to practice in the United States; and has the same active ingredient or ingredients, route of administration, dosage form, and strength as a prescription drug approved under the FFDCA. Sets forth exceptions, including for controlled substances and biological products. Establishes a certification process for approving pharmacies in certain foreign countries. Requires HHS to publish a list of approved foreign pharmacies.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2015
Tribal Employment and Jobs Protection Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the definition of "applicable large employer" for purposes of the employer health care mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) any tribal employer. Defines "tribal employer" as: (1) any Indian tribal government or subdivision, (2) any tribal organization, or (3) any corporation or partnership if more than 50% of the equity interest of such an entity is owned by an Indian tribal government or tribal organization. An applicable large employer is defined by PPACA as an employer who employs 50 or more full-time employees who provide services on average at least 30 hours per week.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2015
Combination Product Regulatory Fairness Act of 2015 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide the sponsor of a product the scientific rationale supporting a determination that the product is not a medical device before making that determination. If the FDA preliminarily determines that a product is not a medical device, the sponsor may propose a study to inform the product's classification. The FDA is prohibited from determining that a combination product (a product that is a combination of drug, device, or biological product) is a drug solely because the product has a chemical action. The FDA must provide the scientific rationale for deciding the primary mode of action (the most important therapeutic action) of a combination product if the FDA's decision disagrees with the conclusions of the product sponsor. (Combination products are regulated based on their primary mode of action.) The sponsor of a combination product and the FDA may agree to a combination product review plan regarding the standards and requirements applicable to the product's premarket review, postmarket modification, or manufacturing. The FDA may allow the sponsor of a combination product that contains an approved constituent product to omit information from the combination product application that is duplicative of information submitted regarding the approved constituent part. The FDA must describe the responsibilities of each agency center regarding review of combination products. The FDA's Office of Combination Products must resolve disputes regarding the premarket review of combination products within 90 days and annually report on disputes and meetings.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2015
TELEmedicine for MEDicare Act of 2015 or the TELE-MED Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow a Medicare provider to provide telemedicine services to a Medicare beneficiary who is in a different state from the one in which the provider is licensed or authorized to provide health care services. The licensing or authorizing state has jurisdiction to enforce its licensure or other legal authorization requirements with regard to such a provision of service.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2015
Supports the designation of National Dance Day to celebrate and encourage the national commitment to dance, dance education, and physical fitness. Acknowledges that dance is making an important contribution to health by encouraging physical fitness and reducing overweight and obesity. Commends Nigel Lythgoe for his leadership in promoting National Dance Day.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2015
TELEmedicine for MEDicare Act of 2015 or the TELE-MED Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow a Medicare provider to provide telemedicine services to a Medicare beneficiary who is in a different state from the one in which the provider is licensed or authorized to provide health care services. The licensing or authorizing state has jurisdiction to enforce its licensure or other legal authorization requirements with regard to such a provision of service.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2015
Tribal Employment and Jobs Protection Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the definition of "applicable large employer" for purposes of the employer health care mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA): (1) any Indian tribal government or subdivision, (2) any tribal organization, or (3) any corporation or partnership if more than 50% of the equity interest of such an entity is owned by an Indian tribal government or tribal organization. An applicable large employer is defined by PPACA as an employer who employs 50 or more full-time employees who provide services on average at least 30 hours per week.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2015
Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2015 Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to Medicare part D prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors and MedicareAdvantage (MA) organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals who are enrolled under a PDP or under an MA-Prescription Drug plan.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2015
Education and Training for Health Act of 2015 or the EAT for Health Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidelines to federal agencies for developing procedures and requirements to ensure that every primary care health professional employed full-time for such agencies have continuing education courses relating to nutrition. Requires each agency to report to Congress annually on the extent to which it has adopted and encouraged such guidelines for such primary care professionals it employed during any portion of the previous year. Requires such courses to: (1) include content on the role of nutrition in the prevention, management, and reversal of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or cancer; and (2) meet requirements for Continuing Medical Education or Continuing Education by medical or nurse practitioner professional organizations or certified accrediting bodies.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2015
Medicare Ventricular Assist Device Access Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to revise the Medicare national coverage determination relating to coverage of ventricular assist devices to extend the coverage of such devices under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act for individuals approved for heart transplantation to apply also to: (1) individuals undergoing an evaluation to determine candidacy for heart transplantation; and (2) individuals who would be heart transplant candidates, but are not so eligible because of a contraindication that may be favorably modified by the use of a ventricular assist device. Directs HHS to use specified processes to revise its national coverage determination relating to ventricular assist devices to incorporate the requirements of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2015
Petroleum Coke Transparency and Public Health Protection Act This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to submit to Congress and publish on the HHS website a report containing the results of a study concerning petroleum coke that includes: (1) an analysis of the public health and environmental impacts of the production, transportation, storage, and use of petroleum coke; (2) an assessment of potential approaches and best practices for storing, transporting, and managing petroleum coke; and (3) a quantitative analysis of current and projected domestic petroleum coke production and utilization locations. The Environmental Protection Agency is required to promulgate rules concerning the storage and transportation of petroleum coke that ensure the protection of public and ecological health based upon the findings of such study.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2015
Accelerating Innovation in Medicine Act of 2015 or the AIM Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop an accelerating innovation in medicine (AIM) list of medical devices (or for any items or services related to furnishing such devices) for which, because of their inclusion on the list, insurance benefits and payments are prohibited under Medicare (either directly or on a capitated basis), with the result that no Medicare claim may be submitted and an individual who consents to receive such a device (or related items or services) is responsible for paying for it and any related items and services. Directs the Secretary to post on a public HHS website or other publicly accessible media an updated list of the medical devices on the AIM list.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2015
Hospice Care Access Improvement Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to select one Medicare administrative contractor to conduct a one-year demonstration program during FY2016 in all hospice programs under the contractor's jurisdiction to test revisions to the methodology for determining hospice payment rates under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act contained in the "Fiscal Year 2016 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Requirements," published on May 5, 2015, by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. No revisions to the hospice payment methodology may be made for FY2016-FY2017, except for demonstration program purposes. HHS shall implement the proposed hospice payment methodology revisions beginning with FY2018 after: taking into account an evaluation of the demonstration program, and making any necessary changes to the revisions. HHS shall implement a process for the medical review of hospice care furnished by a hospice program identified according to certain multiple factors, such as the percentage of patients discharged after receiving hospice care for between 120 and 180 days and who were alive upon discharge. HHS shall also develop and publish guidance for hospice programs to develop interventions to reduce hospital admissions and visits to hospital emergency departments by hospice patients. Medicare shall cover pre-hospice evaluation and counseling services performed by a registered nurse employed by a hospice program. A skilled nursing facility (SNF) shall make a good faith effort to contract with more than one hospice program participating in the Medicare program that provides services in the area served by the SNF, if more than one hospice program is available to serve SNF residents. SNF residents shall have the right to be fully informed of any financial interest the SNF has in any hospice program to which a resident is referred. Any hospital discharge planning evaluation must evaluate, for an individual likely to need hospice care, the availability of such care through hospice programs that: participate in the Medicare program and serve the area in which the patient resides, and request to be listed by the hospital as available.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2015
Stop Tobacco Sales to Youth Act of 2015 Amends the Jenkins Act to include within the definition of "cigarette" electronic cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco. Defines "electronic cigarette" to mean any electronic device that delivers nicotine, flavor, or other substance via an aerosolized solution (including an electronic cigarette, cigar, pipe, or hookah) to the user inhaling from the device, excluding any product that: (1) is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for sale as a tobacco cessation product or for another therapeutic purpose, and (2) is marketed and sold solely for such a therapeutic purpose. Makes specified exceptions with respect to Indian tribes and tribal matters.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2015
This bill requires that health care claims submitted with ICD-9 codes (the code set currently used in health care transactions to identify diagnoses and procedures) continue to be paid during the transition from the ICD-9 code set to the ICD-10 code set.
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2015
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the prohibition against, and so permit, administrative or judicial review of any estimate used and any period selected for determining additional Medicare disproportionate share hospital payments to subsection (d) hospitals. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)
United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2015
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides FY2016 appropriations to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and related agencies. Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Labor for: the Employment and Training Administration, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Wage and Hour Division, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Office of Disability Employment Policy, and Departmental Management. Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for: the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration for Children and Families, the Administration for Community Living, and the Office of the Secretary. Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Education for: Education for the Disadvantaged; Impact Aid; School Improvement Programs; Indian Education; Innovation and Improvement; Safe Schools and Citizenship Education; English Language Acquisition; Special Education; Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research; Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities; Career, Technical, and Adult Education; Student Financial Assistance; Student Aid Administration; Higher Education; Howard University; the College Housing and Academic Facilities Loan Program; the Historically Black College and University Capital Financing Program Account, the Institute of Education Sciences, and Departmental Management. Provides appropriations to Related Agencies, including: the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the National Council on Disability, the National Labor Relations Board, the National Mediation Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, the Railroad Retirement Board, and the Social Security Administration. Sets forth permissible, restricted, and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts. Rescinds unobligated balances from prior appropriations. Health Care Conscience Rights Act Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to prohibit requirements for purchasing or providing health insurance including coverage for abortions or other items or services to which an individual, sponsor, or issuer has a moral or religious objection.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
VA Provider Equity Act This bill includes podiatrists within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) definition of physician, and increases their pay grade to match other VA physician compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Medical Controlled Substances Transportation Act of 2015 This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow a physician to transport controlled substances to another practice setting or disaster area if the physician is registered to dispense, or conduct research with, controlled substances listed on schedules II, III, IV, or V, and the physician enters into a specific agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The agreement must require a physician to provide advance notification to the DEA, limit the duration of transport to 72 hours, and maintain records of the controlled substances dispensed. A “disaster area” is the area covered by a President's major disaster declaration.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act of 2015 This bill eliminates the minimum continuous active duty service requirement for homeless veterans to receive certain benefits, including: (1) outreach, (2) rehabilitative services, (3) vocational counseling and training, (4) transitional housing assistance, (5) supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing, and (6) health care for homeless veterans with special needs. Homeless veterans are exempted from disqualification for such benefits because of discharge or dismissal from the Armed Services under conditions other than honorable, except for discharge by reason of a general court-martial. Veteran is defined for purposes of such benefits as a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, regardless of length of service, and who was discharged or released therefrom, except for a person who: (1) received a dishonorable discharge, or (2) was discharged or dismissed by reason of a general court-martial. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) shall conduct related training and education for appropriate VA and grant recipient personnel.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Right to Try Act of 2015 Bars the federal government from prohibiting or restricting the production, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, dispensing, possession, or use of an experimental drug, biological product, or device that is: (1) intended to treat a patient who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness; and (2) authorized by, and in accordance with, state law. Defines an "experimental drug, biological product, or device" as one that: (1) has successfully completed a phase 1 clinical investigation; (2) remains under investigation in a clinical trial approved by the Food and Drug Administration; and (3) is not approved, licensed, or cleared for commercial distribution under the Federal Food, Drug, or Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Fair VA Accountability Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to: (1) suspend a VA employee without pay if the employee's performance or misconduct is a clear and direct threat to public health or safety; and (2) remove a suspended employee when, after investigation and review, removal is determined necessary in the interests of public health or safety. A suspended employee is entitled, after suspension and before removal, to: a written statement of the specific charges against him or her within 30 days after suspension; an opportunity within 30 days thereafter, plus an additional 30 days if the charges are amended, to answer the charges and submit affidavits; a hearing, at the employee's request, by a VA authority duly constituted for this purpose; a case review by the VA before a decision adverse to the employee is made final; and a written statement of the VA's decision. A VA employee who is subject to a suspension or removal that is determined under applicable law, rule, regulation, or collective bargaining agreement to be a prohibited personnel practice shall receive back pay equal to the total amount of basic pay that such employee would have received during the period that the suspension and removal was in effect, less any amounts earned by the employee through other employment during that period. An individual who was formerly employed in a senior executive position at the VA may not accept compensation from a covered contractor as an employee, officer, director, or consultant of the contractor during the one-year period beginning on the date on which the individual was last employed at the VA in a senior executive position. The VA: (1) may not enter into a contract with any entity that employs such an individual, and (2) shall require an entity to certify that it does not employ and will not employ any such individual during the period covered by the contract. The VA may: not place any covered individual on administrative leave or any other type of paid non-duty status without charge to leave for more than 14 days during any 365-day period; and waive such limitation and extend the administrative leave or other paid non-duty status without charge to leave of a covered individual if the VA submits to the appropriate committees a detailed explanation of the reasons the individual was placed on administrative leave or other paid non-duty status without charge to leave, and the reasons for the extension of such leave or status. A "covered individual" means a VA employee: (1) who is subject to an investigation to determine whether the individual should be subject to any disciplinary action, or (2) against whom any disciplinary action is proposed or initiated.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Helping Save Americans' Health Care Choices Act of 2015 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to health savings accounts (HSAs), to: eliminate the requirement that a participant in an HSA be enrolled in a high deductible health care plan; increase the maximum contribution amount to an HSA; permit both spouses in an HSA to make catch-up contributions to the same account; allow the use of HSAs to pay health insurance premiums and long-term care insurance premiums; treat fees paid in advance for the right to receive medical services as a deductible medical expense; permit Medicare recipients to participate in HSAs; repeal the restriction on payments from HSAs for nonprescription drugs; repeal the additional tax on distributions from HSAs and Archer Medical Savings Accounts; and repeal the $2,500 limitation on salary reduction contributions to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2015
Supports the designation of National Bartter Syndrome Day. (Bartter syndrome is caused by genetic defects that affect kidney function. Symptoms include muscle weakness and growth delay.)
United States · United States Senate · 8 July 2015
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2015
Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage Family Caregivers Act of 2015 or the RAISE Family Caregivers Act This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop, maintain, and periodically update a National Family Caregiving Strategy. HHS shall convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise it on recognizing and supporting family caregivers. Federal departments and agencies must share with HHS any data they maintain that HHS needs to prepare the initial and updated Strategies.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2015
Veteran Continuity of Care Act This bill amends the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to eliminate the 60-day limit on follow-up health care provided under the veterans choice program.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2015
Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act of 2015 This bill requires the federal government: (1) to ensure coverage for abortion care in public health insurance programs including Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children's Health Insurance Program; (2) as an employer or health plan sponsor, to ensure coverage for abortion care for participants and beneficiaries; and (3) as a provider of health services, to ensure that abortion care is made available to individuals who are eligible to receive services in its own facilities or in facilities with which it contracts to provide medical care. The federal government may not prohibit, restrict, or otherwise inhibit insurance coverage of abortion care by state or local governments or by private health plans. State and local governments may not prohibit, restrict, or otherwise inhibit insurance coverage of abortion care by private health plans. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the federal government, acting in its capacity as an insurer, employer, or health care provider, should serve as a model for the nation to ensure coverage of abortion care; and (2) restrictions on coverage of abortion care in the private insurance market must end.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2015
Joint Formularies for Veterans Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly establish: (1) a uniform formulary with respect to systemic pain and psychotropic drugs that are critical for the transition of an individual from receiving health care services furnished by DOD to health care services furnished by VA, and (2) a uniform formulary for DOD and VA that includes all appropriate systemic pain and psychotropic drugs. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit DOD and VA from each maintaining its own formularies.
United States · United States Congress · 8 July 2015
Four Rationers Repeal Act of 2015 This bill repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) related to the establishment of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (also known as the Independent Medicare Advisory Board), effective as of enactment of PPACA. (The purpose of the board is to develop proposals to reduce the growth rate of Medicare spending without restricting benefits or modifying eligibility.) Provisions amended by the repealed provisions are restored. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act and title XI, title XVIII (Medicare), and title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to eliminate the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. (The purpose of the center is to test innovative payment and service delivery models to reduce expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care.) Group health plans and health insurers are no longer required to cover, without cost-sharing, certain items and services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is no longer required to convene the USPSTF. The Community Preventive Services Task Force is eliminated. (This task force developed recommendations regarding community preventive interventions based on scientific evidence.) The Department of Health and Human Services may not use comparative effectiveness research to deny or delay coverage of an item or service under a federal health care program. Comparative effectiveness research conducted or supported by the federal government must account for factors contributing to differences in the treatment response and treatment preferences of patients.
United States · United States Senate · 7 July 2015
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2015
Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2015 Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to expand telehealth coverage in three phases. Extends the term "originating site," for telehealth service payment purposes, to additional sites, including any federally qualified health center and any rural health clinic, at which the eligible telehealth individual is located at the time the service is furnished via a telecommunications system. Prohibits application of the originating site facility fee to the additional sites. Authorizes additional telehealth providers, including a certified diabetes educator or licensed respiratory therapist, audiologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or speech language pathologist. Authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop payment methods to apply in the case of anyone who would be an eligible telehealth individual except that the telehealth services are furnished at a site other than an originating site. Extends Medicare coverage to remote patient management services for certain chronic health conditions. Authorizes home telehealth sites as additional originating sites. Requires the monthly fee or other basis of payment for physicians' services to individuals with end stage renal disease (ESRD) to allow for a patient-specific waiver process to permit a physician, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant to request a waiver of face-to-face visit requirements for home dialysis of ESRD patients. Requires all ESRD patients receiving home dialysis to receive a face-to-face examination at least once every three consecutive months and, in the intervening months, to receive a monthly clinical assessment which may be furnished, if the patient so chooses, via remote monitoring by a physician, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant. Directs HHS, in determining the component of a physician's fee corresponding to practice expense relative value units for diagnostic tests provided remotely, to include in direct costs of supplies and equipment the costs of the diagnostic device, clinical systems (including hardware and software), information transmission, and device delivery and installation. Directs the Government Accountability Office to study the effectiveness of using specified telehealth services between therapy providers and patients, any associated savings, and the potential for greater use of telehealth services for other forms of therapy.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2015
Miners Protection Act of 2015 This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to address potential shortages in the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan for payment of health care benefits to retired coal miners by expanding the eligible uses of interest transferable to such plan from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, and supplemental payments from the General Fund of the Treasury. The calculation of such interest and payments shall be made by taking into account only those beneficiaries who are actually enrolled in the plan as of the enactment of this Act, as well as those retirees whose health care benefits, payable directly by an employer in the bituminous coal industry under a coal wage agreement, would be denied or reduced as a result of a bankruptcy proceeding commenced in 2012. The bill requires the Department of the Treasury to transfer to the trustees of the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan additional funds to pay pension benefits required under that plan, if the $490 million cap on certain transfers to the UMWA Combined Benefit Fund and distributions to states and Indian tribes exceed the aggregate amount required to be transferred to them. The bill also expands the annual reporting requirements of the trustees of the 1974 UMWA Pension Plan on plan solvency and value of plan assets.
United States · United States House of Representatives · 25 June 2015
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. Under the arrangement, funds contributed by an employer are excluded from the employer's taxable income and are used to pay or reimburse employees for medical care expenses, including premiums for individual health insurance coverage or Medicare supplemental insurance. Such a reimbursement arrangement: (1) must not pay premiums for an employee covered by a family member's coverage, (2) must be offered to all eligible employees on the same terms and may only vary based on the number of individuals covered, and (3) is not required to provide continuation coverage. Employer contributions to a reimbursement arrangement are not included in an employee's gross income if the employee was covered by the reimbursement arrangement for more than nine months of the year. Employees covered for less than nine months have a percentage of employer contributions included in their gross income, with exceptions. An employee offered affordable individual health insurance coverage under a reimbursement arrangement is not eligible for a premium assistance tax credit. Employers must report contributions to a reimbursement arrangement on their employees' W-2. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to exempt reimbursement arrangements from requirements for health insurance coverage. Insurance offered under a reimbursement arrangement remains subject to the requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to identify: (1) VA mental health care and suicide prevention programs that are most effective for women veterans, and (2) such programs with the highest satisfaction rates among women veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. Under the arrangement, funds contributed by an employer are excluded from the employer's taxable income and are used to pay or reimburse employees for medical care expenses, including premiums for individual health insurance coverage or Medicare supplemental insurance. Such a reimbursement arrangement: (1) must not pay premiums for an employee covered by a family member's coverage, (2) must be offered to all eligible employees on the same terms and may only vary based on the number of individuals covered, and (3) is not required to provide continuation coverage. Employer contributions to a reimbursement arrangement are not included in an employee's gross income if the employee was covered by the reimbursement arrangement for more than nine months of the year. Employees covered for less than nine months have a percentage of employer contributions included in their gross income, with exceptions. An employee offered affordable individual health insurance coverage under a reimbursement arrangement is not eligible for a premium assistance tax credit. Employers must report contributions to a reimbursement arrangement on their employees' W-2. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to exempt reimbursement arrangements from requirements for health insurance coverage. Insurance offered under a reimbursement arrangement remains subject to the requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
SCOTUScare Act of 2015 This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to limit the health plans the federal government may make available to Supreme Court Justices and Supreme Court employees to those that are created under PPACA or offered through a health insurance exchange.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Medicare Patient Access to Cancer Treatment Act of 2015 Expresses the sense of Congress that, to ensure the future of community cancer care, Medicare reimbursement should be equal for the same service provided to a cancer patient regardless of whether the service is delivered in the hospital outpatient department (OPD) or physician's office. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to the prospective payment system (PPS) for OPD services to require that the payment amount under PPS and physician fee schedules for covered OPD cancer services be a budget neutral combination of the amount otherwise payable under the PPS and the amount otherwise payable under the physician fee schedule for such services.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Infant Formula Protection Act of 2015 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale of an infant formula, including an infant formula powder, if its use-by date has passed.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Patients First Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct and support basic and applied research to develop techniques for the isolation, derivation, production, testing, and human clinical use of stem cells that may result in improved understanding of, or treatments for, diseases and other adverse health conditions, provided that the techniques will not involve: (1) the creation of a human embryo for research purposes; (2) the destruction or discarding of, or risk of injury to, a living human embryo; or (3) the use of any stem cell the derivation or provision of which would be inconsistent with this Act. HHS must issue guidelines to ensure that any research (including any clinical trial) supported under this Act: (1) is clearly consistent with the standards established in this Act, if conducted using human cells; and (2) is prioritized in terms of potential for near-term clinical benefit in human patients. HHS must report on peer reviewed stem cell research proposals that were not funded.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Neglected Infections of Impoverished Americans Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on the epidemiology of, impact of, and appropriate funding required to address neglected diseases of poverty, including Chagas disease, cysticercosis, toxocariasis, toxoplasmosis, trichomoniasis, soil-transmitted helminth infection, and other related diseases. The report should provide the information necessary to guide future health policy to evaluate the current state of knowledge concerning such diseases and address the threat of such diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2015 Prohibits a person from (and requires a fine under the federal criminal code, imprisonment up to five years, or both for) operating an Internet poker facility without a license in good standing issued by a specified qualified regulatory authority. Requires the Department of Commerce to establish the Office of Internet Poker Oversight. Makes such prohibition inapplicable to facilities operated by persons located outside the United States in which bets or wagers are made by individuals located outside the United States. Allows a licensee to accept an Internet poker bet or wager from U.S.-located individuals and offer related services so long as the license remains in good standing. Prohibits licensees from accepting bets or wagers by persons residing where a state or Indian tribe has notified Commerce of specific gambling prohibitions. Sets forth exceptions concerning the applicability of such state prohibitions on tribal lands. Establishes a five-year term for initial licenses, subject to renewal and transfer requirements. Authorizes enforcement and disciplinary actions by Commerce and qualified regulatory authorities. Sets forth civil monetary penalties. Requires each qualified regulatory authority to: (1) maintain a list of persons self-excluded from playing Internet poker through licensed Internet poker facilities; and (2) submit a current copy of such list each week to Commerce, that shall maintain a master list. Requires each licensee, as a licensure condition, to implement a gambling addiction, responsible gaming, and self exclusion program. Precludes persons prohibited from gaming with a licensee by law or by order of Commerce, a qualified regulatory authority, or any court of competent jurisdiction, including any person on the self-exclusion list, from collecting winnings or recovering losses arising from prohibited gaming activity. Requires court-ordered child support delinquents to be included on the self-exclusion list. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to establish and implement programs for the identification, prevention, and treatment of pathological and other problem gambling. Requires customer tracking data on player behavior (with personally identifying information removed) to be made available to the public. Prohibits licensees, except as specified, from: (1) accepting bets or wagers on any game, event, or activity that is not Internet poker; and (2) using credit cards for Internet gambling. Establishes a violation for operating a place of public accommodation for accessing Internet poker facilities. Requires a fine, imprisonment up to three years, or both for certain rules of play violations, including using tools, electronic devices, or software to obtain a prohibited or unfair advantage or to defraud any licensee or persons placing bets or wagers with a licensee. Amends the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 to prohibit a financial transaction provider from being held liable for a financial activity or transaction, including a payments processing activity, in connection with a bet or wager permitted by this Act or the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 without actual knowledge of any applicable federal or state law violation. Shields such providers from liability for blocking or refusing to honor specified transactions. Requires the Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to investigate unlicensed Internet gambling enterprises and provide the Department of the Treasury with a list of such enterprises updated at least every 60 days. Deems financial transaction providers to have actual knowledge that persons or entities are unlicensed Internet gambling enterprises if they are included on such list or, under other specified circumstances, when information in addition to the list is available to such a provider demonstrating that a person or entity is such an enterprise.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides FY2016 appropriations to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and related agencies. Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Labor for: the Employment and Training Administration, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Wage and Hour Division, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Departmental Management. Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for: the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration for Children and Families, the Administration for Community Living, and the Office of the Secretary. Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Education for: Education for the Disadvantaged; Impact Aid; the School Improvement Programs; Indian Education; Innovation and Improvement; Safe Schools and Citizenship Education; English Language Acquisition; Special Education; Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research; Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities; Career, Technical, and Adult Education; Student Financial Assistance; Student Aid Administration; Higher Education; Howard University; the College Housing and Academic Facilities Loan Program; the Historically Black College and University Capital Financing Program Account, the Institute of Education Sciences, and Departmental Management. Provides appropriations to Related Agencies, including: the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the National Council on Disability, the National Labor Relations Board, the National Mediation Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, the Railroad Retirement Board, and the Social Security Administration. Sets forth permissible, restricted, and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts. Rescinds unobligated balances from prior appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2015
Expresses support for the designation of National ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Day to encourage parents to begin asking the question, "Is there an unlocked gun in your house?" before their child visits other homes.
United States · United States Senate · 24 June 2015