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451 records in US in 2014
United States · United States Congress · 29 April 2014
Supports the designation of Mental Health Month to remove the stigma associated with mental illness and to place emphasis on scientific findings regarding mental health recovery.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2014
Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2014 - Makes technical and clerical amendments to: the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012; the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012; the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010; the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010; the Creating Small Business Jobs Act of 2010; the Hiring Incentives To Restore Employment Act; the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009; the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008; the Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008; the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008; the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008; the Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2007; the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006; the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005: A Legacy for Users; the Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005; and the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. Eliminates provisions in the Internal Revenue Code that are not used in computing current tax liabilities (referred to as deadwood provisions).
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2014
Legitimate Use of Medical Marijuana Act or the LUMMA - Transfers marijuana from schedule I to schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Provides that in a state in which marijuana may be prescribed for medical use under state law, no provision of the CSA or of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act shall prohibit or otherwise restrict: (1) the prescription of marijuana for medical use; (2) an authorized patient from obtaining, possessing, transporting, or using marijuana for that individual's medical use; (3) an individual from obtaining, possessing, transporting, or manufacturing marijuana pursuant to an authorization under state law; (4) a pharmacy or other entity authorized under state law to distribute medical marijuana to an authorized patient for medical use from obtaining, possessing, or distributing marijuana for that purpose; or (5) an entity authorized by such state from producing, processing, or distributing marijuana for prescribed medical use.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2014
Covering People With Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2014 - Requires each state to mitigate the health costs of high risk individuals in the state through a state reinsurance program or a state high risk pool.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2014
Regenerative Medicine Promotion Act of 2014 - Requires the Comptroller General to submit to Congress a report identifying all ongoing federal programs and activities regarding regenerative medicine. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a Regenerative Medicine Coordinating Council in the Office of the Secretary with duties to include: (1) preparing a national strategy to support research into regenerative medicine and the development of drugs, biological products, medical devices, and biomaterials for use in regenerative medicine; (2) identifying sources of funding for research into regenerative medicine and areas where such funding is inadequate; and (3) making recommendations regarding federal policies to support development and marketing of regenerative medicine products. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to make grants for: (1) basic or preclinical research into regenerative medicine; (2) research and development of drugs, biological products, medical devices, and biomaterials for use in regenerative medicine; and (3) the making of an investigational new drug application or an investigational device exemption application within four years of receiving such grant. Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of NIH to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to accelerate the development of high need cures through the development of medical products and behavioral therapies for use in regenerative medicine. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to: (1) conduct, support, or collaborate in regulatory research to assist the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in performing its functions with respect to regenerative medicine; or (2) make grants to fund regulatory research for such purpose.
United States · United States House of Representatives · 24 April 2014
United States · United States Senate · 10 April 2014
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 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.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Improving Care for Vulnerable Older Citizens through Workforce Advancement Act of 2014 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Assistant Secretary of Aging to carry out a program awarding grants to eligible entities to carry out six separate demonstration projects that focus on care coordination and service delivery for older individuals with chronic illness or at risk of institutional placement by: (1) designing and testing new models of care coordination and service delivery that thoughtfully and effectively deploy advanced aides to improve efficiency and quality of care for frail older individuals; and (2) giving direct-care workers opportunities for career advancement through additional training, an expanded role, and increased compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2014 - Expands eligibility for the family caregiver program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are seriously injured or who became ill on active duty prior to September 11, 2001 (currently, limited to service after September 11, 2001). Expands services to caregivers of veterans under such program to include child care services, financial planning services, and legal services. Authorizes the transfer of entitlement to post 9/11 education assistance to family members by veterans who are retired for a physical disability or who are seriously injured veterans in need of family caregiver services, without regard to length-of-service requirements. Authorizes the VA Secretary to pay monthly special compensation to seriously injured or ill veterans in need of personal care services and to their caregivers. Excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, such compensation paid to injured or ill veterans. Authorizes flexible work schedules or telework for federal employees who are caregivers of veterans. Amends the Public Health Service Act to designate a veteran participating in the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers as an adult with a special need for purposes of the lifespan respite care program. Establishes in the executive branch an interagency working group to review and report on policies relating to the caregivers of veterans and members of the Armed Forces. Directs the Secretary to provide for studies on members of the Armed Forces who commenced service after September 11, 2001, and veterans who have incurred a serious injury or illness, including a mental health injury, and their caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Medicare Choices Empowerment and Protection Act - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish an Advance Directive Certification Program to encourage eligible beneficiaries to adopt and maintain certified advance directives to guide the delivery of health care to them, and (2) make a one-time payment (of $50 for using a manual process, of $75 for using on-line processes only) to each eligible beneficiary that adopts a certified advance directive and registers it with the Program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize through FY2019 and revise a program to combat antimicrobial resistance. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to direct the Assistant Secretary of Health to establish the Antimicrobial Resistance Office. Requires the Secretary to establish the Public Health Antimicrobial Advisory Board to advise the Director of the Office (Director). Requires the Director to update the Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance within one year. Requires the Antimicrobial Resistance Task Force to review, discuss, and further develop the Action Plan. Authorizes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consult with the Director of the Antimicrobial Resistance Office concerning the pending application of any new human or animal antimicrobial drugs. Requires the Public Health Antimicrobial Advisory Board to make recommendations to the Secretary and the Antimicrobial Resistance Office regarding issues such as research priorities and implementation of the Action Plan. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop an antimicrobial resistance strategic research plan. Gives the Director of the Antimicrobial Resistance Office direct authority over specified antimicrobial resistance activities of the Secretary. Revises demonstration programs to require the Secretary to award grants to promote the uptake and measurement of antimicrobial stewardship programs in health care facilities. Defines "antimicrobial stewardship" to mean coordinated interventions designed to improve and measure the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) pilot and test health care quality measures to help providers, facilities, and health systems measure and benchmark appropriate antimicrobial use; (2) develop methods to help providers, facilities, and health systems measure and improve antimicrobial use; (3) establish at least 10 Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Laboratory Network sites; (4) work with state health departments to support regional prevention collaboratives designed to interrupt and prevent the transmission of significant antibiotic resistant pathogens being transmitted across health care settings in a geographic region. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to establish a Clinical Trials Network on Antibacterial Resistance and a Leadership Group for the Network. Requires the Director of the CDC to: (1) work with various entities to obtain reliable and comparable human antimicrobial drug consumption data by state or metropolitan area, (2) intensify and expand efforts to collect antimicrobial resistance data, (3) report on key trends and major issues related to antimicrobial resistance and use in the United States. Requires the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to work with the Director of the CDC to determine how best antimicrobial use, susceptibility, and resistance data can be incorporated into meaningful use reports.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Designates the week of October 6-12, 2014, as Naturopathic Medicine Week. Recognizes the value of naturopathic medicine in providing safe, effective, and affordable health care.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Strengthening Healthcare Options for Vulnerable Populations Act - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend permanently the authorization for certain Medicare Advantage (MA) Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs). Requires MA D-SNPs by December 31, 2018, to be fully integrated, in accordance with state law, with capitated contracts with states for any benefits under SSA title XIX (Medicaid), including long-term care and behavioral health. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a clearly defined role for state Medicaid agencies in contracting and oversight of plans. Directs the Secretary, in implementing requirements for the payment of Medicare+Choice organizations, to take steps necessary to ensure that the quality rating for a D-SNP: (1) does not disadvantage a plan that enrolls full-benefit dual (Medicare- and Medicaid-) eligible individuals, qualified Medicare beneficiaries, and individuals with complex health care needs; and (2) accounts for differences in socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of enrollees of such a plan that result in significant variation in health outcomes. Allows the Secretary to increase temporarily the quality rating that a specialized MA plan would otherwise receive under certain circumstances. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report on steps taken for improving health outcomes, cost controls, and beneficiary satisfaction. Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to designate the Federal Coordinated Health Care Office (FCHCO) as the dedicated point of contact within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to assist states with ongoing D-SNP administration issues. Allows the Secretary, through the FCHCO, to waive applicable Medicare requirements to promote the integration, alignment, and delivery of items and services under the Medicare program and the Medicaid program, with respect to dual eligible individuals and to ensure the seamless delivery of patient-centered services across the continuum of care with resect to such individuals. Requires D-SNPs to provide coverage during the appeals process with respect to dispute resolution for claims. Directs the Secretary to establish a streamlined process for dispute resolution for claims and appeals, with respect to items and services furnished to special needs individuals, to align the Medicare program process with the one under the Medicaid program. Amends SSA title XI to require the Secretary to report to Congress on the Integrated Data Repository and the One Program Integrity System.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Compassionate Freedom of Choice Act of 2014 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to declare that nothing in it or in the Public Health Service Act shall prevent or restrict, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall not implement or enforce any law to prevent or restrict, the manufacture, importation, distribution, or sale of investigational drugs or devices for terminally ill patients. Prohibits the FDA Commissioner from requiring the disclosure, collection, or reporting of certain information concerning such drugs or devices, except that the sponsor of a clinical trial may voluntarily disclose, collect, or report such information to the FDA. Declares that, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct, any person who manufactures, imports, distributes, prescribes, or administers an investigational drug or device shall not be liable in any action under state or federal law for loss, damage, or injury arising out of, relating to, or resulting from: (1) the design, development, clinical testing and investigation, manufacturing, labeling, distribution, sale, purchase, donation, dispensing, prescription, administration, or use of such drugs or devices; or (2) their safety or effectiveness.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
US-Israel Global Neuroscience Partnership Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to eligible entities for U.S.-Israel cooperative neuroscience research. Establishes in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) an International Neuroscience-Related Research Advisory Board. Terminates the grant program and the Advisory Board seven years after the date of enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Improving Care for Vulnerable Older Citizens through Workforce Advancement Act of 2014 - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to direct the Assistant Secretary of Aging to carry out a program awarding grants to eligible entities to carry out six separate demonstration projects that focus on care coordination and service delivery for older individuals with chronic illness or at risk of institutional placement by: (1) designing and testing new models of care coordination and service delivery that thoughtfully and effectively deploy advanced aides to improve efficiency and quality of care for frail older individuals; and (2) giving direct-care workers opportunities for career advancement through additional training, an expanded role, and increased compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Recognizes the disparity in treatment rates of African-American breast cancer patients and affirms that such disparity is unacceptable and should be addressed. Calls for immediate action to be taken to: (1) raise awareness of breast cancer screening for all women in the United States, and (2) expand access to treatment for all breast cancer patients regardless of race.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2014
Recognizes caregiving as a profession and the need for increased educational opportunities for both paid and family caregivers. Expresses support for: (1) paid caregivers, the private home care industry, and the efforts of family caregivers nationwide by encouraging individuals to provide care to family, friends, and neighbors; and (2) current and future federal programs that address the needs of seniors and their family caregivers. Encourages: (1) accessible and affordable self-directed care for seniors, and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue working to educate people on the impact of aging and the importance of knowing the options available to meet seniors' personal needs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2014
Expanding Primary Care Access and Workforce Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to appropriate funds for scholarship and student loan repayment programs for primary care providers. Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 to provide appropriations for the National Health Care Workforce Commission and extend provisions related to community health centers and the Family Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program. Extends payments and development grants for Teaching Health Centers, the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, the Primary Care Residency Expansion Program, and Area Health Education Centers. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from determining physician fees for payments under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act by consulting with physician organizations or entities unless at least 50% of the members are primary care physicians. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend the Medicare incentive payment program for primary care services. Amends title XIX (Medicaid) to permanently apply the Medicare payment rate floor to primary care services furnished under Medicaid. Requires medical schools receiving federal funds to maintain a family medicine or primary care department. Amends Medicare provisions related to payments for graduate medical education costs to permit HHS to increase the resident limit for additional positions in family medicine. Prohibits health care providers accepting payments under Medicare or Medicaid from charging uninsured individuals a higher rate for a medical service than the provider would receive under Medicare for the same service.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2014
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 - Authorizes appropriations for the Department of Defense (DOD) for FY2015. Authorizes appropriations to DOD for: (1) procurement, including aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and other procurement; (2) the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund; (3) research, development, test, and evaluation; (4) operation and maintenance; (5) active and reserve military personnel; (6) Working Capital Funds; (7) the Joint Urgent Operational Needs Fund; (8) chemical agents and munitions destruction; (9) drug interdiction and counter-drug activities; (10) the Defense Inspector General; (11) the Defense Health Program; (12) the Armed Forces Retirement Home; (13) chemical demilitarization; (14) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program; (15) Guard and reserve forces facilities; and (16) base closure and realignment activities. Sets forth provisions or requirements concerning: (1) military personnel policy, including education and training; (2) military pay and allowances; (3) military health care; (4) acquisition policy and management; (5) DOD organization and management; (6) financial matters; (7) civilian personnel matters; (8) matters relating to foreign nations; (9) overseas contingency operations; (10) military construction; (11) real property and facilities administration; and (12) military land withdrawals. Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2015 for military construction for the Armed Forces and defense agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2014
Generic Drug Pricing Fairness Act - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require each contract entered into with a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor with respect to a PDP the sponsor offers to prohibit the PDP from entering into a contract with any pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) to manage the prescription drug coverage provided under such plan, or to control the costs of the prescription drug coverage under it, unless the PBM adheres to specified criteria when handling personally identifiable utilization and claims data or other sensitive patient data. Revises requirements for contracts with PDP sponsors to require that the PDP sponsor disclose to applicable pharmacies the sources used for making any update of the prescription drug pricing standard, and if the source for such a standard is not publicly available, disclose to such pharmacies all individual drug prices to be so updated in advance of their use for the reimbursement of claims. Requires the PDP sponsor, as well, to establish a process to appeal, investigate, and resolve disputes regarding individual drug prices that are less than the pharmacy acquisition price for a drug.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2014
Provides that for purposes of medical professional liability insurance or civil and criminal malpractice liability determinations, a physician or athletic trainer (covered sports medicine professional) who is authorized to practice medicine in a state (primary state) and who provides medical services to an athlete or athletic team in a state where such professional is not authorized to practice (secondary state) shall be deemed to have provided such medical services in the primary state, provided that prior to providing the covered medical services such professional has disclosed the nature and extent of such services to the entity that provides such professional with medical professional liability insurance in the primary state.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2014
Protecting the Sustainable Use of Spent Grains Act of 2014 - Amends the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act to permit the continued exemption from the Act, as an alcohol-related facility, of a facility that distributes, for use as food for animals, spent grains resulting from the production of alcoholic beverages.
United States · United States Congress · 8 April 2014
Expanding Nutrition's Role in Curricula and Healthcare Act or the ENRICH Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program of three-year competitive grants to accredited medical schools for the development or expansion of an integrated nutrition curriculum. Describes such a curriculum as one that: (1) is based on best possible evidence to improve communication and provider preparedness in the prevention, management, and, as possible, reversal of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer; and (2) addresses such topics as nutrition across the life cycle of members of at-risk populations and food insecurity and malnutrition among such individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Obamacare Taxpayer Bailout Protection Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with respect to the program of risk corridors (under which a qualified health plan offered in the individual or small group market is required to participate in a payment adjustment system based on the ratio of the allowable costs of the plan to the plan's aggregate premiums), to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that payments to and from a plan are provided for in amounts necessary to reduce to zero the cost to the government of carrying out the program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week. Recognizes the efforts of public health professionals, governments, and individuals in preventing disease and injury. Encourages increasing the efforts and resources devoted to improving the health of people in the United States through greater opportunities to improve community health and prevent disease and injury and through the strengthening of the public health system.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Designates April 2014 as National Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month. Declares that steps should be taken to: (1) raise awareness of and increase public knowledge about congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH); (2) inform minority populations about CDH; (3) disseminate information on the importance of quality neonatal care for CDH patients; (4) promote quality prenatal care and the use of ultrasounds to detect CDH in utero; and (5) increase research funding in an amount commensurate with the burden of CDH to improve screening and treatment for it, discover its causes, and develop a cure for it.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2014 - Amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (SAA, 2008) to extend emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) payments for eligible individuals to weeks of employment ending on or before June 1, 2014. Amends the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act to extend until May 31, 2014, requirements that federal payments to states cover 100% of EUC. Amends the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 to exempt weeks of unemployment between enactment of this Act and November 30, 2014, from the prohibition in the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970 (FSEUCA of 1970) against federal matching payments to a state for the first week in an individual's eligibility period for which extended compensation or sharable regular compensation is paid if the state law provides for payment of regular compensation to an individual for his or her first week of otherwise compensable unemployment. (Thus allows temporary federal matching for the first week of extended benefits for states with no waiting period.) Amends the FSEUCA of 1970 to postpone similarly from December 31, 2013, to May 31, 2014, termination of the period during which a state may determine its "on" and "off" indicators according to specified temporary substitutions in its formula. Amends the SAA, 2008 to appropriate funds out of the employment security administration account through the first five months of FY2015 to assist states in providing reemployment and eligibility assessment activities. Requires the provision of such activities to an individual, at a minimum, within a time period after he or she begins to receive Tier-1 EUC benefits, and if applicable, again within a time period after he or she begins to receive Tier-3 EUC benefits. Requires the Secretary of Labor to determine appropriate time periods. Specifies the purposes of the activities, namely to: better link the unemployed with the overall workforce system by bringing individuals receiving unemployment insurance benefits in for personalized assessments and referrals to reemployment services; and provide them with early access to specific strategies that can help get them back into the workforce faster, including through: (1) the development of a reemployment plan, (2) provision of access to relevant labor market information, (3) provision of access to information about industry-recognized credentials that are regionally relevant or nationally portable, (4) provision of referrals to reemployment services and training, and (5) an assessment of the individual's on-going eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits. Amends the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to extend through May 31, 2014, the temporary increase in extended unemployment benefits. Makes a change in application of a certain requirement (nonreduction rule) to a state that has entered a federal-state EUC agreement, under which the federal government would reimburse the state's unemployment compensation agency making EUC payments to individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment compensation under state or federal law and meet specified other criteria. (Under the nonreduction rule such an agreement does not apply with respect to a state whose method for computing regular unemployment compensation under state law has been modified to make the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010, less than what would have been paid before June 2, 2010.) Declares that the nonreduction rule shall not apply to a state which has enacted a law before December 1, 2013, that, upon taking effect, would violate the nonreduction rule. Allows a state whose agreement was terminated, however, to enter into a subsequent federal-state EUC agreement on or after enactment of this Act if, taking into account this inapplicability of the nonreduction rule, it would otherwise meet the requirements for an EUC agreement. (Thus allows such a subsequent EUC agreement to permit payment of less than the average weekly unemployment compensation benefit paid on or after June 2, 2010.) Prohibits the use of federal funds to: (1) make payments of unemployment compensation to any individual whose adjusted gross income in the preceding year was at least $1 million, or (2) determine whether or not this prohibition applies to an individual. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to: study the use of work suitability requirements to strengthen them to ensure that unemployment insurance benefits are being provided to individuals who are actively looking for work and truly want to return to the labor force; and brief Congress on the ongoing study, including preliminary recommendations for appropriate legislation and administrative action. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code to revise the applicable percentages for determining minimum funding standards for single-employer defined benefit pension plans (funding stabilization). Exempts plans providing accelerated benefit distributions from the application of such standards. Amends ERISA, with respect to pension insurance premiums paid by a designated payor (i.e., the contributing sponsor or plan administrator for a single employer pension plan and the plan administrator for the multiemployer plan) to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Allows a designated payor to elect to prepay, during any plan year, the applicable PBGC flat dollar insurance premium due for up to five consecutive subsequent plan years specified in the election. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend through FY2024 the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to collect customs user fees for the processing of certain merchandise. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a bona fide volunteer providing firefighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, or ambulance services to a state or local government or tax-exempt organization shall not be counted in determining the number of full-time employees of an employer for purposes of the employer mandate to provide minimum essential health care coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Excludes services rendered as a bona fide volunteer to any governmental entity and any tax-exempt organization (specified employer) from the determination of the number of full-time employees of an employer for purposes of such mandate. Defines "bona fide volunteer" as an employee whose only compensation from a specified employer is in the form of: (1) reimbursement for (or reasonable allowance for) reasonable expenses incurred in the performances of volunteer services; or (2) reasonable benefits and nominal fees, customarily paid in connection with the performance of volunteer services.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act of 2014 - Exempts expatriate health plans, employers acting as sponsors of such plans, and health insurance issuers providing coverage under such plans from the health care coverage requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Deems expatriate health coverage to be minimum essential coverage under an eligible employer-sponsored plan according to the Internal Revenue Code. Declares that a qualified expatriate (and any dependent) enrolled in an expatriate health plan shall not be considered a U.S. health risk for purposes of assessing the annual fee on health insurance providers that provide health coverage to any U.S. health risk for any year after 2014. Establishes a special rule for calculating the amount of this fee for calendar 2014. Defines a "qualified expatriate" as: (1) a participant in a group health plan who is a U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or nonimmigrant about whom there is a good faith expectation of being abroad, in connection with his or her employment, for at least 90 days in a 12-month period, or of traveling abroad on at least 15 occasions during such a period; or (2) an individual who is abroad as a member of a group determined appropriate by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2014
Expanding the Availability of Medicare Data Act - Expands the kinds of uses of Medicare data available to qualified entities for quality and patient care improvement activities. (A "qualified entity" is a public or private entity that: [1] is qualified to use claims data to evaluate the performance of service providers and suppliers on measures of quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and resource use; and [2] agrees to meet specified requirements, such as ensuring data security.) Authorizes a qualified entity to use claims data combined with non-claims data the entity has received, as well as information derived from evaluation of service provider and supplier performance, to conduct additional non-public analyses and provide or sell them to authorized users for non-public use (including to assist service providers and suppliers to develop and participate in quality and patient care improvement activities, including new models of care). Defines "authorized users" as service providers, suppliers, employers, health insurance issuers, medical societies or hospital associations, or any other entities approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Prohibits a qualified entity from charging a fee to provide Medicare claims data. Requires a qualified entity and an authorized user to enter into a data use agreement, and prohibits the use of data or analyses for marketing purposes or, except in certain circumstances, its redisclosure. Directs the Secretary to provide Medicare data to qualified clinical data registries for purposes of linking it with clinical outcomes data and performing risk-adjusted, scientifically valid analyses and research to support quality improvement or patient safety. Requires charging a fee to a registry for such data. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to include among standardized extracts of Medicare claims data that may be made available to qualified entities, if the Secretary determines appropriate, also claims data under SSA titles XIX (Medicaid) and XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP). Requires any fees charged for making standardized extracts available to qualified entities to be deposited into the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Management Account (currently, into the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund).
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2014
Comprehensive Department of Veterans Affairs Performance Management and Accountability Reform Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in implementing the federal performance appraisal system for senior executives of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), to annually issue the organizational performance requirements to be achieved by each executive. Requires at least half of the annual rating of each executive to be based on such requirements. Directs the Secretary to certify to the congressional veterans committees, annually, that such requirements are being utilized and that each executive's rating accurately reflects use of such requirements. Provides additional implementation requirements. Directs the Secretary to provide a detailed explanation to any executive who receives an annual rating lower than fully successful. Requires each executive who receives: (1) two annual ratings of less than fully successful to be removed from the Senior Executive Service; or (2) three consecutive ratings of the highest performance level to be given an opportunity to obtain a different position within the VA with more responsibility, if such a position is available. Requires the Secretary to report annually on the VA's senior executive performance appraisal system. Allows VA physician and dentist performance pay only to those who received a fully successful level of performance in their most recent appraisal. Directs the Secretary to report semiannually on health care trends to be used in determining VA physician and dentist recruitment and retention needs. Requires: (1) the establishment of a performance appraisal system for VA physicians and dentists; and (2) their performance to be evaluated based on goals and objectives specifically linked to improved health care outcomes and quality, as well as overall effectiveness in providing quality health care services. Requires each VA physician or dentist be provided a copy of his or her annual rating under the system, as well as an opportunity to respond and have the rating reviewed by the VA's Under Secretary for Health. Prohibits a VA physician or dentist who has not maintained an appropriate professional license from being paid. Directs the Secretary to report on the VA training program for senior executives.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2014
Lawrence J. Hackett Jr. Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Fairness Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a task force to assess and make recommendations about the care and compensation that should be provided to veterans who have been exposed to Agent Orange, their spouses, and multiple generations of their offspring. Requires the task force to make recommendations: (1) to establish the Agent Orange Illness Compensation Program to provide an exposed veteran or eligible survivor a lump sum payment for the veteran's injury, illness, or death; (2) for the establishment of a national outreach and education campaign to communicate information about Agent Orange exposures and health conditions to veterans who are affected by incidents of toxic exposures and their families; (3) for compensation and health care for individuals with Spina Bifida, birth defects, or other illnesses who are the children or descendants of members of the Armed Forces who served in Vietnam or in or near the demilitarized zone in Korea during certain time periods determined by the task force; and (4) for the establishment of a unified policy to deal with the consequences of exposure to hazardous materials in the military. Terminates the task force not later than two years after its establishment.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2014
Taxpayer Bailout Protection Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with respect to the program of risk corridors (under which a qualified health plan offered in the individual or small group market is required to participate in a payment adjustment system based on the ratio of the allowable costs of the plan to the plan's aggregate premiums), to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that the amount of payments to plans for a plan year beginning during calendar years 2014 through 2016 does not exceed the amount of payments to the Secretary for such plan year. Requires the Secretary to proportionately decrease the amount of payments to plans in order to ensure that such requirement is satisfied each year.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2014
Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2015, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2016-FY2024. Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts for FY2015-FY2024 with respect to: (1) federal revenues, (2) new budget authority, (3) budget outlays, (4) deficits (on-budget), (5) debt subject to limit, and (6) debt held by the public. Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority and outlays for specified major functional categories for FY2015-FY2024. Lists recommended revenue, spending, and deficit levels and amounts for FY2030, FY2035, and FY2040 as a percent of the federal gross domestic product (GDP) with respect to: (1) federal revenues, (2) budget outlays, (3) deficits, and (4) debt. Authorizes a certain reserve fund to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care-related provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (2010 health care laws). Authorizes certain deficit-neutral reserve funds: to reform the 2010 health care laws, to repeal all or part of the decreases in Medicare spending included in them, for the sustainable growth rate of the Medicare program, to reform the tax code, to implement a trade agreement, for revenue measures that would not increase the deficit for FY2015-FY2024, for rural counties and schools, for transportation by maintaining the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, and to reform policies and programs to reduce poverty and increase opportunity and upward mobility. Establishes means-tested direct spending: (1) at 6.8% for the average rate of growth in the total level of outlays during the 10-year period preceding FY2015, and (2) at 5.4% under current law for the estimated average rate of growth in the total level of outlays during the 10-year period beginning with FY2015. Proposes the following reforms for means-tested directed spending: converting the federal share of Medicaid spending into a flexible state allotment tailored to meet each state’s needs, indexed for inflation and population growth; assuming the conversion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into such a state allotment; and increasing the allotment based on the Department of Agriculture Thrifty Food Plan index and beneficiary growth. Establishes at 5.7% for non-means-tested direct spending for such average rate of growth and at 5.4% under current law for such estimated average rate growth. Proposes reforms for non-means-tested direct spending: (1) with respect to Medicare, by advancing specified policies to put seniors, not the federal government, in control of their health care decisions; and (2) by calling for federal employees, including Members of Congress and congressional staff, to make greater contributions toward their own retirement. Authorizes the chair to adjust the allocations, aggregates, and other appropriate budgetary levels for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT), or committee allocation to the Committee on Appropriations specified in the report of this resolution to conform with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act) (as adjusted by the Budget Control Act of 2011). Makes it out of order in the House to consider legislation reported out of committee (other than the Committee on Appropriations) if it has the net effect of increasing direct spending in excess of $5 billion for any of the four consecutive 10-fiscal-year periods beginning with FY2025. Requires the report or the joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference report on this budget resolution to include in its allocation to the House Committee on Appropriations amounts for the discretionary administrative expenses of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and of the Postal Service. Authorizes the chair to adjust allocations and aggregates for legislation reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that reforms the federal retirement system, but does not cause a net increase in the deficit for FY2015-FY2024. Counts legislation that transfers funds from the general fund of the Treasury to the Highway Trust Fund as new budget authority and outlays equal to the amount of the transfer in the fiscal year in which the transfer occurs. Provides a separate allocation in the House to the Committee on Appropriations for OCO/GWOT for FY2015. Declares the policy of this resolution on: economic growth and job creation, tax reform, replacing the President's health care law, Medicare reform, Social Security, higher education and workforce development opportunity, deficit reduction through the cancellation of unobligated balances, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, deficit reduction through the reduction of unnecessary and wasteful spending, unauthorized spending, federal regulatory policy, trade, and no budget, no pay.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act of 2014 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require state Medicaid plans to: (1) prohibit the state from terminating (but allow it to suspend) enrollment under the state plan for medical assistance for an eligible juvenile because he or she is an inmate of a public institution; (2) require the state to restore enrollment automatically to such an individual upon his or her release, and take all steps necessary to ensure the enrollment is effective immediately upon release, unless the individual no longer meets eligibility requirements; and (3) require the state to process any application for medical assistance submitted by, or on behalf of, a juvenile inmate notwithstanding that he or she is an inmate.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Small Business Fairness in Health Care Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), to: (1) exempt a small business concern, as defined by the Small Business Act, from the PPACA employer mandate to provide employees with minimum essential health care coverage; and (2) redefine "full-time employee," for purposes of such mandate, as an employee who is employed on average at least 40 (currently, 30) hours a week.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
America Helping Encourage Advancements in Lifesaving Science or the America HEALS Act - Establishes a Biomedical Research Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Treasury to provide for an expanded and sustained national investment in biomedical research. Requires amounts to be transferred from the Fund for each fiscal year to accounts related to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Defense (DOD) health program, and the medical and prosthetics research program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that funding for such programs and agencies does not fall below 105% of the level of funding provided for the preceding fiscal year and an additional amount to account for any increases in the Gross Domestic Product for the year involved. Requires that amounts appropriated for each of such programs and agencies for a fiscal year be not be less than the amounts appropriated for FY2014. Authorizes and appropriates to the Fund such sums as necessary in each fiscal year to enable such transfers. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act to exempt the Fund from any sequestration order issued under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Religious Liberty Protection Act of 2014 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from implementing or enforcing any provision of the final rule published on July 2, 2013, related to the coverage of preventive health services under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or any amendment to such rule or subsequent rule insofar as such provision, amendment, or subsequent rule requires any individual or entity to provide coverage of sterilization or contraceptive services to which the individual or entity is opposed on the basis of religious belief. Amends PPACA to declare that a health plan shall not be considered to have failed to provide essential health benefits, to fail to be a qualified health plan, or to fail to fulfill any other requirements on the basis that the plan does not provide or pay for coverage of sterilization or contraceptive services because: (1) providing or paying for such coverage is contrary to the religious or moral beliefs of the sponsor, issuer, or other entity offering the plan; or (2) such coverage, in the case of individual coverage, is contrary to the religious or moral beliefs of the purchaser or beneficiary of the coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Action for Dental Health Act 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to obtain portable or mobile dental equipment and to pay for appropriate operational costs for the provision of free dental services to underserved populations that are delivered in a manner consistent with state licensing laws. Directs the Secretary to award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to collaborate with state, county, or local public officials and other stakeholders in order to develop and implement initiatives to: (1) improve oral health education and dental disease prevention; (2) reduce barriers in a manner that increases dental provider participation in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); (3) make the health care delivery system providing dental services under Medicaid or CHIP more accessible and efficient by taking actions necessary to facilitate the establishment of dental homes; (4) address geographic, language, cultural, and similar barriers in the provision of dental services; and (5) reduce the use of emergency departments for dental services more appropriately delivered in a dental primary care setting.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
At-Risk Youth Medicaid Protection Act of 2014 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require state Medicaid plans to: (1) prohibit the state from terminating (but allow it to suspend) enrollment under the state plan for medical assistance for an eligible juvenile because he or she is an inmate of a public institution; (2) require the state to restore enrollment automatically to such an individual upon his or her release, and take all steps necessary to ensure the enrollment is effective immediately upon release, unless the individual no longer meets eligibility requirements; and (3) require the state to process any application for medical assistance submitted by, or on behalf of, a juvenile inmate notwithstanding that he or she is an inmate.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to designate maternity care health professional shortage areas and review such designations at least annually. Requires the Secretary to collect and publish data on health care professional shortage areas based on professional category of maternal health professionals providing full scope maternity health care by provider type as well as geographic region. Includes, in the criteria for designation of health professional shortage areas, consideration of health professionals other than physicians who provide full scope maternity care and are eligible for National Health Service Corps loan repayment. Defines "maternity care health professional shortage area" to mean: (1) an area determined to have a shortage of providers of full scope maternity care health services or of hospital or birth center labor and delivery units, or (2) a population group determined to have a shortage of such providers or facilities. Defines "full scope maternity care health services" to include care during labor, birthing, prenatal care, and postpartum care.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week. Recognizes the contributions of nurses to the U.S. health care system.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2014
Supports the designation, and the goals and ideals, of National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. Calls on the people of the United States, interested groups, and affected persons to: (1) promote awareness of bladder cancer and to foster understanding of the impact of the disease on patients and their families and caregivers, and (2) take an active role in the fight to end bladder cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 2 April 2014
Education and Training for Health Act of 2014 or the EAT for Health Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) 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 at least six credits of continuing medical education courses relating to nutrition. Requires these to include at least courses on the role of nutrition in the prevention, management, and, as possible, reversal of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Requires each agency employing such primary care professionals to report to Congress annually on the extent to which it has adopted and enforced the guidelines issued under this Act with respect to those employed during any portion of the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014 - Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of the Interior (Secretaries), in response to the declaration of a state of drought emergency in California, to provide the maximum quantity of water supplies possible to Central Valley Project (CVP) and Klamath Project agricultural, municipal and industrial, and refuge service and repayment contractors, State Water Project contractors, and any other locality or municipality in California by approving, consistent with applicable laws: (1) any project or operations to provide additional water supplies if there is any possible way the Secretaries can do so, unless the project or operations constitute a highly inefficient way of providing additional water supplies; and (2) any projects or operations as quickly as possible based on available information to address the emergency conditions. Sets forth actions to be taken to increase water supply, including: (1) ensuring that the Delta Cross Channel Gates remain open to the greatest extent possible, (2) requiring the Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service to recommend revisions to operations of the CVP and the California State Water Project, (3) adopt a 1:1 inflow to export ratio for the increased flow of the San Joaquin River, (4) require the Director and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation to complete all requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 necessary to make final permit decisions on water transfer requests, and (5) make WaterSMART grant funding allocated to California for eligible projects available on a priority and expedited basis. Authorizes financial assistance under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 for projects to increase water supply. Requires federal agency heads to consult with the Council on Environmental Quality to develop alternative arrangements to comply with NEPA. Directs the EPA to prioritize projects under state water pollution control revolving funds to provide water to areas at risk of having an inadequate supply of water for public health and safety purposes or to improve resiliency to drought. Requires the Commissioner of Reclamation to provide water supply planning assistance in preparation for and in response to dry, critically dry, and below normal water year types, upon request, to CVP or Klamath Project contractors or other reclamation project contractors in California, including contractors who possess contracts for refuge water supplies or who deliver refuge water supplies. Reauthorizes: (1) the Calfed Bay-Delta Act, (2) the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991, and (3) the Secure Water Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to fund or participate in pilot projects to increase Colorado River System water in Lake Mead and the initial units of Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs to address the effects of historic drought conditions. Amends the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to take actions to reduce water consumption or demand or to restore ecosystems in the Klamath Basin watershed, including tribal fishery resources held in trust. Provides for the termination of authorities under this Act upon the suspension or withdrawal of the California drought emergency declaration. Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to expand federal emergency assistance to provide for disaster unemployment, emergency nutrition, and crisis counseling assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to shield a health care professional from liability under federal or state law for harm caused by any act or omission if: (1) the professional is serving as a volunteer in response to a disaster; and (2) the act or omission occurs during the period of the disaster, in the professional's capacity as such a volunteer, and in a good faith belief that the individual being treated is in need of health care services. Makes exceptions where: (1) the harm was caused by an act or omission constituting willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed; or (2) the professional rendered the health care services under the influence of intoxicating alcohol or an intoxicating drug. Declares that, nothing in this Act shall supplant any other provision of federal, state, local, or tribal law that establish liability schemes or liability protections that exceed those provided by this Act, including without limitation the Federal Tort Claims Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Alzheimer's Accountability Act of 2014 - Amends the National Alzheimer's Project Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for each fiscal year through FY2025, to submit to the President for review and transmittal to Congress, after reasonable opportunity for comment (but without change) by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Advisory Council on Alzheimer's Research, Care, and Services, an annual budget estimate (including regarding personnel needs) for the NIH initiatives under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the excise tax on employer-sponsored health care coverage for which there is an excess benefit (high-cost plans). Amends the Public Health Service Act to replace the annual review of unreasonable increases in health insurance premiums with a five-year program of grants to states for establishing centers to collect and make available medical reimbursement information from health insurance issuers. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to deny plan bids under the Medicare Advantage Program and the Prescription Drug Benefit Program. Abolishes the Independent Payment Advisory Board established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to develop proposals to reduce the rate of growth in Medicare spending.
United States · United States Congress · 1 April 2014
Hire More Heroes Act of 2014 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit an employer, for purposes of determining whether such employer is an applicable large employer and thus required to provide health care coverage to its employees under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, to exclude employees who have coverage under a health care program administered by the Department of Defense (DOD), including TRICARE, or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).