POLICY BRIEFINGS

Burgess Calls for Additional COVID-19 Hearings


House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Michael Burgess (R-Texas) is requesting that Subcommittee Chair Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) hold hearings on bipartisan issues related to assisting with coronavirus challenges. He criticizes the subcommittee for holding what he deemed a partisan hearing last week on former Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Director Richard Bright’s whistleblower campaign. Instead, Burgess argues, the panel should schedule hearings on issues related to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), COVID-19’s impact on mental health, reducing racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, distributions from the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund, and on COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and personal protective equipment (PPE).


Senate Dems Propose Fund for Frontline Workers


Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are calling on congressional leadership to create a federal fund to reimburse essential front line workers for costs incurred while serving during the coronavirus pandemic. The Essential Frontline Worker Compensation Fund, which would be administered by the Department of Labor, would compensate these individuals for medical costs, transportation, temporary housing, and childcare. The lawmakers request that at a minimum the fund include support for health care workers, first responders, sanitation workers, transportation workers, grocery store pharmacy employees, domestic workers, farmworkers, and others deemed essential by federal, state, and local governments.


Hart Health Strategies COVID-19 Resources


Hart Health Strategies Inc. continues to update the following resources related to the coronavirus pandemic. Please remember to clear your cache to ensure you download the most recent documents.


Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups


Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing “The Quarterly CARES Act Report to Congress;” 10:00 a.m., remote; May 19

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies hearing “Department of Veterans Affairs - Response to COVID-19;” 12:00 p.m., 2359 Rayburn Bldg.; May 19

House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protections hearing “Examining the Federal Government’s Actions to Protect Workers from COVID-19;” 10:15 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.; May 20

Senate Special Aging Committee hearing to examine caring for seniors amid the COVID-19 crisis; 9:30 a.m., 301 Russell Bldg.; May 21


Recently Introduced Health Legislation


H.Res.957 — Expressing support for the designation of May as “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.6739 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require coverage under Medicare PDPs and MA-PD plans, without the imposition of cost sharing or utilization management requirements, of drugs intended to treat COVID-19 during certain emergencies; Sponsor: Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.6753 — To amend the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to extend the rural community hospital demonstration program; Sponsor: Rep. Finkenauer, Abby [D-IA-1]; Committees: House - Ways and Means

H.R.6763 — To provide for the establishment of a COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force to gather data about disproportionately affected communities and provide recommendations to combat the racial and ethnic disparities in the COVID-19 response; Sponsor: Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Small Business; Education and Labor; Oversight and Reform

H.R.6773 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a credit against tax for certain health care workers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18]; Committees: House - Ways and Means

H.R.6774 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a demonstration program to assess the effects of a hospital providing to qualified individuals medically tailored home-delivered meals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]; Committees: House - Ways and Means; Rules

H.R.6788 — To enhance our Nation’s nurse and physician workforce during the COVID-19 crisis by recapturing unused immigrant visas; Sponsor: Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]; Committees: House – Judiciary

H.R.6792 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to simplify payments for telehealth services furnished by Federally qualified health centers or rural health clinics under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.6797 — To increase support for State Children’s Health Insurance programs during the COVID-19 emergency, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Wild, Susan [D-PA-7]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

S.3677 — A bill to require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to promulgate an emergency temporary standard to protect employees from occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.R.6803 — To amend the Small Business Act to exempt certain ambulatory surgery and outpatient health centers from affiliation rules, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Balderson, Troy [R-OH-12]; Committees: House - Small Business

H.R.6808 — To provide for the establishment of a Health Force and a Resilience Force to respond to public health emergencies and meet public health needs; Sponsor: Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Transportation and Infrastructure; Budget

H.R.6809 — To prohibit health care providers that receive funding through the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund from reducing employment or compensation for certain nurses employed by the provider; Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.6810 — To establish a Health Care Protection Program Fund to provide grants to employers to ensure continuity of coverage under a group health plan through the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide for premium assistance for COBRA benefits, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13]; Committees: House - Education and Labor; Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.6813 — To amend the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act to improve the prevention of elder abuse and exploitation of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; Sponsor: Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22]; Committees: House – Judiciary

H.R.6822 — To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a national public health service program to respond to public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6]; Committees: House - Education and Labor

H.R.6824 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the carryover of the remaining 2020 balance in health flexible spending arrangements; Sponsor: Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6]; Committees: House - Ways and Means

H.R.6829 — To authorize funding for a bilateral cooperative program with Israel for the development of health technologies with a focus on combating COVID-19; Sponsor: Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.6837 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modify the accelerated and advance payment programs under parts A and B of the Medicare program during the COVID-19 emergency; Sponsor: Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]; Committees: House - Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.6839 — To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report describing the response of certain entities to the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to the development, regulatory evaluation, and deployment of diagnostic tests; Sponsor: Rep. Spanberger, Abigail Davis [D-VA-7]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce



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