Sanders, Marshall Release Health Care Workforce Package

September 18, 2023

• Weekly Policy Briefing
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CSenate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and panel member Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) have reached an agreement on a health care workforce package that would provide a significant funding increase for the nation’s community health centers. The Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act includes an almost $2 billion annual increase in mandatory funding for community health centers – totaling $5.8 billion annually for three years. The bill would triple mandatory funding for the National Health Service Corps, from $310 million to $950 million annually for three years, while also providing $1.5 in mandatory funding over the next five years to the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education program. The package provides $1.2 billion in mandatory funding for two-year registered nursing program grants and authorizes or reauthorizes discretionary funding for other nursing workforce programs. The bill would ban hospitals from certain anti-competitive contracting clauses in negotiations with commercial insurance companies, and would restrict hospitals from charging facility fees for services that do not occur on a hospital campus. The legislation does not have the support of HELP Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who argues that the bill “lacks full Hyde [Amendment] protections and drastically increases spending without a plan to pay for it.” Cassidy has expressed support for the package being advanced in the House of Representatives which contains lower funding amounts. Chairman Sanders has said that he is still working to improve the spending offsets contained in the agreement. Sen. Marshall stated that the bill would be “fully paid for by combatting the enormous waste, fraud, and abuse in the health care system, making it easier for patients to access low-cost generic drugs, and holding pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) accountable, among other provisions,” while his staff has specified to reporters that the deal would be partly paid for with PBM reforms advanced by the HELP and Finance committees earlier this year. The Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act is scheduled to be marked up by the HELP Committee on Thursday. It likely can be passed out of Committee without any additional Republican votes, but it will require further bipartisan support to pass on the Senate floor. Funding for community health centers and authorization for other programs expires at the end of the month.

Transparency Bill Expected to Advance in the House

The House is set to vote this week on the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 5378). The package is focused on increasing transparency in the hospital, insurer, and PBM industries. It includes many provisions previously advanced by the Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce committees, drawing much from the PATIENT Act, to provide patients with timelier and more accurate information about the cost of health care procedures and services. It also increases funding for community health centers and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program. The legislation is backed by both Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.), and Education and the Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.). However, the top Democrats on the Ways and Means and Education and the Workforce panels did not join in introducing the bill.

Update on Government Funding Negotiations

The Senate voted to expedite debate on a fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding bill (H.R. 4366) for the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development last week. Thirty-seven Republicans joined Senate Democrats in backing the measure, which contains $100 billion more in spending than supported by Republicans in the House of Representatives. It also lacks several border security and anti-abortion provisions being sought by GOP members of the House. After passing the three-bill spending package, the Senate then plans to vote on a stopgap spending bill containing $24 billion in aid to Ukraine and $16 billion in disaster funding.

Republicans in the House announced on Sunday that they had reached a deal on a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through October 31. The CR would trigger a 1% cut to current spending levels. The cut would not be applied equally across the budget; the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs would not see any spending reductions, while the rest of the government would see an immediate 8% cut until the end of October. The proposal was negotiated by Main Street Caucus members Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) and Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) and Freedom Caucus members Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Chip Roy (R-Tex.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). If the House passes the CR deal, the Senate will need to respond by either passing the package or sending an amended version back to the House. The latter is more likely given the House agreement is not bipartisan and unlikely to be signed into law by the White House.

HELP Chair Sanders Agrees to Confirmation Hearing for NIH Nominee

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has committed to holding a confirmation hearing next month on the nomination of Dr. Monica Bertagnolli to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health. Sanders’ statement followed an announcement by the Biden administration that it had secured an agreement from biotech company Regeneron to limit the list price of a next-generation monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 to equal to or less than the price in other major countries. Chairman Sanders had previously pledged to oppose all administration health nominees until the White House took unilateral action to cut drug prices.

Senators Ask DEA to Extend Virtual Prescribing Flexibilities

Abipartisan group of senators have written to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) urging the agency to maintain access to care in its telemedicine prescribing policies. The lawmakers ask DEA to extend COVID-era flexibilities permitting the virtual prescribing of controlled substances for new patients beyond November 2023, and to extend the 30-day supply allowed for the prescription of controlled substances before a patient must see their doctor in person. The letter expresses concerns about the ability of patients to obtain in-person appointments within 30 days of starting a new medication, and “the potential consequences to their health of starting a new medication and abruptly ending it should they not be able to obtain such an appointment.” The lawmakers also recommend that DEA establish a special registration process to enable providers to prescribe controlled substances without an in-person visit. The letter was signed by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

Romney Announces Decision to Not Seek Reelection

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) announced that he will not seek a second term in the U.S. Senate last week. Romney cited his age, 76, as the reason for his decision, calling for support for a new generation of leaders “to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in.” Romney currently serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and the Budget Committee. Romney told reporters that he does not plan to endorse anyone to replace him next year.

Challenges to the No Surprises Act Continue

The Texas Medical Association and other medical providers filed a brief last week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit arguing that federal agencies rewrote the law to favor health insurers in their implementation of the No Surprises Act (NSA). “What insurers could not obtain through the legislative process, the federal Departments implementing the NSA have given them through rulemaking,” the plaintiffs state. The providers express opposition to the administration’s decision to direct independent dispute resolution entities to give primary consideration to the qualifying payment amount (QPA) as they work to settle billing disputes, and challenge the underlying method laid out to calculate the QPA.

POLICY BRIEFINGS

Latest COVID-19 Boosters Now Available

The latest COVID-19 boosters are now available in the U.S. following sign-off by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CDC Director Mandy Cohen formally endorsed the updated mRNA shots from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. on Tuesday after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 13-1 to recommend its use in those aged six months and older. The vaccines were approved by the FDA for those aged 12 and older, and authorized under emergency use for those aged six months and older. The shots are formulated to prevent severe disease and hospitalization from the XBB1.5 strain and other XBB subvariants of the virus, which represent 90% of subvariants currently circulating as of this month. The companies have said that the vaccines will cost between $110 and $130. Private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid will cover the shot at no cost to patients. Children who are uninsured will be able to access the vaccine through the federal Vaccines For Children program, and the administration plans to distribute the vaccine through its Bridge Access Program for other uninsured Americans.

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Ways and Means Committee hearing “Reduced Care for Patients: Fallout from Flawed Implementation of Surprise Medical Billing Protections;” 10:00 a.m.; September 19

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing “Examining Policies to Improve Seniors’ Access to Innovative Drugs, Medical Devices, and Technology;” 10:00 a.m.; September 19

House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing “The Role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers in Prescription Drug Markets Part II: Not What the Doctor Ordered;” 10:00 a.m.; September 19 Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care hearing “Aging in Place: The Vital Role of Home Health in Access to Care;” 10:00 a.m.; September 19

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health hearing “VA’s Federal Supremacy Initiative: Putting Veterans First?” 10:15 a.m.; September 19

House Energy and Commerce Committee Member Day hearing; 2:00 p.m.; September 19

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce legislative hearing “Mapping America’s Supply Chains: Solutions to Unleash Innovation, Boost Economic Resilience, and Beat China;” 10:30 a.m.; September 20

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “At What Cost: Oversight of How the IRA’s Price Setting Scheme Means Fewer Cures for Patients;” 2:00 p.m.; September 20

House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade hearing “Reforming the Generalized System of Preferences to Safeguard U.S. Supply Chains and Combat China;” 2:00 p.m.; September 20

House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet hearing “IP and Strategic Competition with China: Part III – IP Theft, Cybersecurity, and AI;” 3:00 p.m.; September 20

Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing to examine improving mental health and suicide prevention measures for our Nation’s veterans; 3:30 p.m.; September 20

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications & Technology hearing “Connecting Every American: The Future of Rural Broadband Funding;” 9:00 a.m.; September 21

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee executive session to consider S. 1573, PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2023; S. 2415, Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023; S. 1624, Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0; and S._, Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act; 10:00 a.m.; September 21

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R. 5360 – A bill to amend the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 to extend funding outreach and assistance for low-income programs; Sponsor: Craig, Angie [D-MN-02]; Committees: House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce

H.R. 5368 – A bill to prohibit through December 31, 2024, the imposition of a mask mandate on passengers of air carriers or public transit and in educational settings within the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Greene, Marjorie [R-GA-14]; Committees: Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Education and the Workforce

H.R. 5371 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to clarify payment rules for manual wheelchairs under part B of the Medicare program; Sponsor: Joyce, David [R-PA-13]; Committees: Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means

H.R. 5372 – A bill to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to facilitate midyear formulary changes for biosimilars; Sponsor: Joyce, David [R-PA-13]; Committees: Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means

H.R. 5376 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure appropriate cost-sharing for chronic care drugs under Medicare part D; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-01]; Committees: Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means

H.R. 5378 – A bill to promote price transparency in the health care sector, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rodgers, Cathy McMorris [R-WA-05]; Committees: Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce

H.R. 5379 – A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish all information in the possession of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to the origin of COVID-19, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Roy, Chip [R-TX-21]; Committee: Energy and Commerce

H.R. 5380 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase data transparency for supplemental benefits under Medicare Advantage; Sponsor: Sarbanes, John [D-MD-03]; Committees: Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce

H. Res. 672. A resolution calling for sickle cell trait research, surveillance, and public education and awareness, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12]; Committee: Energy and Commerce

S.2754 – A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish all information in the possession of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to the origin of COVID-19, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.2764 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a rebate by manufacturers for selected drugs and biological products subject to maximum fair price negotiation; Sponsor: Barrasso, John [Sen.-R-WY]; Committees: Senate – Finance

S.2766 – A bill to amend title V of the Public Health Service Act; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.2768 – A bill to protect hospital personnel from violence, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D- WV]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

S.2771 – A bill to allow additional individuals to enroll in standalone dental plans offered through Federal Exchanges; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.Res.676 – Supporting the designation of the week of September 17 through September 23, 2023, as “Telehealth Awareness Week”; Sponsor: Johnson, Bill [Rep.-R-OH-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.Res.678 – Recognizing the seriousness of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and expressing support for the designation of the month of September 2023 as “PCOS Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Scott, David [Rep.-D-GA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5384 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the automatic qualification of certain Medicaid beneficiaries for premium and cost-sharing subsidies under part D of the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pappas, Chris [Rep.-D-NH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5385 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish pharmacy benefit manager reporting requirements with respect to prescription drug plans and MA-PD plans under Medicare part D; Sponsor: Landsman, Greg [Rep.-D- OH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5386 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for adjustments to the Medicare part D cost-sharing reductions for low-income individuals; Sponsor: McGarvey, Morgan [Rep.-D-KY-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5387 – To improve the provision of health care to unsheltered homeless individuals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Chavez-DeRemer, Lori [Rep.-R-OR-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and the Workforce; Financial Services

H.R.5388 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of certain technologies and medical devices under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Balderson, Troy [Rep.-R-OH-12]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.5389 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure transparency in the national coverage determination process under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Guthrie, Brett [Rep.-R-KY-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.5390 – To direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study on the feasibility of manufacturing in the United States products for critical infrastructure sectors, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R- IA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5391 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a rebate by manufacturers for selected drugs and biological products subject to maximum fair price negotiation; Sponsor: Burgess, Michael C. [Rep.-R-TX-26]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5392 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure timely review of local coverage determination requests under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Dunn, Neal P. [Rep.-R-FL-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.5393 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure fair assessment of pharmacy performance and quality under Medicare part D, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Griffith, H. Morgan [Rep.-R-VA-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5394 – To ensure appropriate access to remote monitoring services furnished under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Balderson, Troy [Rep.-R-OH-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5395 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program relating to medical necessity determinations under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.5396 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to prohibit Medicare local coverage determinations from restricting access to care, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bucshon, Larry [Rep.-R-IN-8]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.5397 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of external infusion pumps and non- self-administrable home infusion drugs under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5399 – To substantially restrict the use of animal testing for cosmetics, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [Rep.-D-VA-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5400 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to assure pharmacy access and choice for Medicare beneficiaries; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5405 – To ensure that a fair percentage of Federal cancer research funds are dedicated to pediatric cancer research; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5406 – To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a clearinghouse of zip-code based information to expecting mothers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5414 – To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants to implement innovative approaches to securing prompt access to appropriate follow-on care for individuals who experience an acute mental health episode and present for care in an emergency department, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D-CA-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5416 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the automatic enrollment of eligible veterans in patient enrollment system of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Takano, Mark [Rep.-D-CA-39]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

H.R.5418 – To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act; Sponsor: Trone, David J. [Rep.-D-MD-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5420 – To require the Secretary of Labor to issue guidance and regulations regarding opioid overdose reversal medication and employee training; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

S.Res.340 – A resolution supporting the designation of September 13, 2023, as National Sepsis Day; Sponsor: Schumer, Charles E. [Sen.-D-NY]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.2780 – A bill to require sponsors of drug applications and holders of approved applications to provide certain submissions and communications to the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Patent and Trademark Office; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.2782 – A bill to provide the Food and Drug Administration with authority to conduct microbial sampling on concentrated animal feeding operations as necessary to facilitate a foodborne illness outbreak investigation, determine the root cause of an outbreak of foodborne illness, or address other public health needs; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D- NJ]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.2797 – A bill to ensure religious freedom and rights of conscience for health care workers and other government employees, and to protect health care workers and other government employees from various forms of compelled speech; Sponsor: Rubio, Marco [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

H.R.5429 – To require sponsors of drug applications and holders of approved applications to provide certain submissions and communications to the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Patent and Trademark Office; Sponsor: Kuster, Ann M. [Rep.-D-NH-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

H.R.5434 – To amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to provide for 12-month continuous enrollment of individuals under the Medicaid program and Children’s Health Insurance Program; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D- MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5452 – To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act; Sponsor: Trone, David J. [Rep.-D-MD-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

S.Res.343 – A resolution supporting the designation of September 17, 2023, as “National Physician Suicide Awareness Day” to raise awareness of, and promote a national discussion about, physician suicide and to reduce the stigma of mental health issues; Sponsor: Stabenow, Debbie [Sen.-D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.Res.345 – A resolution supporting the designation of September 15, 2023, as “National Concussion Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Latest Action: Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

S.2799 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hyde-Smith, Cindy [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.2801 – A bill to improve the reproductive assistance provided by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to certain members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their spouses or partners, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Murray, Patty [Sen.-D-WA]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

S.2809 – A bill ensure references to opioid overdose reversal agents in certain grant programs of the Department of Health and Human Services are not limited to naloxone; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.2815 – A bill to provide for a wage differential program to support new nursing school faculty members; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.2816 – A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to make all children eligible for Medicaid from birth until age 19, to require States to automatically enroll children under age 19 in the State Medicaid program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

S.2821 – A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for prostate cancer screenings without the imposition of cost-sharing requirements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.Res.686 – Supporting the designation of September 19, 2023, as “National Stillbirth Prevention Day”, recognizing tens of thousands of American families that have endured a stillbirth, and seizing the opportunity to keep other families from experiencing the same tragedy; Sponsor: Hinson, Ashley [Rep.-R-IA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.Res.690 – Supporting the designation of September 17, 2023, as “National Physician Suicide Awareness Day” to raise awareness of, and promote a national discussion about, physician suicide and to reduce the stigma of mental health issues; Sponsor: Stevens, Haley M. [Rep.-D-MI-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5458 – To direct the Patient Center Outcome Research Institute to prepare and release a report on home cardiorespiratory monitors for infants, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Yakym, Rudy [Rep.-R-IN-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5461 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require PDP sponsors of a prescription drug plan under part D of the Medicare program that use a formulary to include certain generic drugs and biosimilar biological products on such formulary, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kuster, Ann M. [Rep.-D-NH-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5467 – To prohibit the sale of a firearm unless the firearm or packaging carries a label that provides the number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; Sponsor: Brownley, Julia [Rep.-D-CA-26]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5470 – To extend temporary authority regarding license portability for certain practitioners to be able to practice across State borders, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ciscomani, Juan [Rep.-R-AZ-6]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

H.R.5481 – To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Guest, Michael [Rep.-R-MS-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5492 – To improve the reproductive assistance provided by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to certain members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their spouses or partners, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Larsen, Rick [Rep.-D-WA-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Armed Services

H.R.5506 – To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act and title 10, United States Code, to provide no-cost coverage for the preventive distribution of opioid overdose reversal drugs; Sponsor: Pettersen, Brittany [Rep.-D-CO-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Armed Services

H.R.5510 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require coverage of 3 primary care visits without cost sharing each year under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Salinas, Andrea [Rep.-D-OR-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5514 – To authorize a pilot program to expand and intensify surveillance of self-harm in partnership with State and local public health departments, to establish a grant program to provide self-harm and suicide prevention services in hospital emergency departments, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Stewart, Chris [Rep.-R-UT-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.5518 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require individuals the choice to opt in to enrollment in employer group waiver plans under Medicare Advantage; Sponsor: Torres, Ritchie [Rep.-D-NY-15]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.5520 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, to award grants to faith- or community-based organizations to address persistent health inequities and chronic disease challenges; Sponsor: Williams, Nikema [Rep.-D-GA-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce