Healthcare

HR 6668, the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act of 2025, establishes federal limits on PFAS chemicals in water. It requires the EPA to set water quality standards for PFAS by 2026 and create discharge limits for specific industries (like chemical manufacturing, electroplating, and landfills) by 2026-2028. The bill mandates immediate monitoring of PFAS discharges from these industries and public treatment plants, and funds $200 million annually (2026-2030) to help treatment works address PFAS contamination. It also requires the EPA to adopt a new testing method for PFAS by January 2026.

HR 7173, the Follow the Science Act, restricts political appointees from influencing National Institutes of Health (NIH) operations and grant decisions. It prohibits most political appointees (defined broadly as those in policy-making roles) from being employed by NIH or participating in grant reviews, funding selections, or policy implementation. The bill requires the NIH Director to report on past political appointee involvement in these activities to Congress within 30 days of enactment. These changes aim to ensure NIH decisions are based on scientific merit rather than political influence, with limited exceptions for other federal agencies.

This bill requires the Department of Defense to assign mental health professionals with necessary security clearances to all Cyber Command duty locations by 2025. It directly affects Cyber Mission Force personnel by ensuring they have access to cleared providers for treatment of work-related stress and behavioral health challenges. Key provisions mandate annual congressional briefings on implementation progress, clearance validation, clinical workload, and efforts to increase awareness of available mental health services. The law focuses on improving access to care through staffing requirements and transparency, without altering existing benefits or funding mechanisms.

This bill (HR 5467, the PAAT Act) requires Medicare Part D plans to cover specific drugs treating autoimmune diseases, hemophilia, and Von Willebrand disease starting in 2027. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries with these conditions by mandating plan coverage for relevant medications. Key provisions include requiring plans to include all covered drugs for these conditions and prohibiting prior authorization for such drugs more than once per year, unless the drug is short-term, a controlled substance, or has a risk management strategy. The law aims to reduce coverage barriers for these treatments without altering drug approval or pricing.

HR 3749, the HER Act, directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to fund research on how endocrine-disrupting chemicals (chemicals that interfere with hormones) in personal care products affect women’s reproductive health. It provides federal grants for scientific research and requires states to receive funding for investigating these chemicals and running public awareness campaigns about safer alternatives. Every five years, the Department must publish reports detailing research findings, listing safe/harmful products, and suggesting ways to expand FDA regulation of harmful ingredients. This bill directly affects women’s health researchers, state health agencies, and consumers seeking safer personal care products, while aiming to inform future regulatory action.

Radiation Oncology Case Rate Value Based Program Act of 2025 or the ROCR Value Based Program Act This bill establishes a specialized payment program under Medicare for providers and suppliers of radiation oncology services.  Specifically, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must establish a program under which radiation therapy providers (i.e., hospital outpatient departments) and suppliers (i.e., physician group practices and freestanding radiation therapy centers) receive payments for each episode of care provided to individuals with specified types of cancer. An episode of care  means the period beginning on the day radiation therapy planning is furnished to the individual and ending (1) for individuals with bone or brain metastases, 30 days later; and (2) for individuals with other cancer types, 90 days later. Participation in the program is mandatory for providers and suppliers that participate in Medicare, unless the provider or supplier is part of a state-based Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation model or qualifies for a significant hardship exemption. The CMS must set payment rates for the program based on national payment rates with specified adjustments (e.g., geographic adjustments). Providers and suppliers who provide certain transportation services for individuals under their care may receive an additional payment. Providers and suppliers must be accredited in accordance with certain standards, subject to payment reductions. The Government Accountability Office must report on (1) implementation of the program, and (2) underserved areas that are in need of more or newer radiation therapy resources.

HR 6848, the Whole Health for Veterans Act, eliminates copayments for Whole Health well-being services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill requires the VA to cover these services - such as wellness coaching, meditation, yoga, and skill-building courses - without out-of-pocket costs for most veterans, with a maximum $30 monthly copayment allowed for some. Priority groups 1-5 (veterans already exempt under current policy) remain fully exempt, while other veterans may face the $30 cap. This policy change directly affects all VA-enrolled veterans seeking these non-medical wellness services.

HR 6794, the VA Medical Center Facility Transparency Act, requires VA medical facilities to schedule appointments during the same phone call when a covered veteran (enrolled in VA's patient system) requests one. It mandates annual and quarterly public fact sheets from each facility detailing patient statistics, satisfaction ratings, wait times, facility achievements, and areas needing improvement. The bill also requires VA to notify Congress within 90 days when a medical center director is detailed to another position and to appoint an acting director within 120 days. All provisions expire three years after enactment.

HR 6906 requires the Department of Justice and the Government Accountability Office to each submit a report to Congress within one year of the bill's enactment. The DOJ report must examine illegal tactics in rehab facilities, insurance fraud related to Affordable Care Act plans, broker misconduct, drug trafficking, patient dumping practices, and homelessness impacts. The GAO report will assess current federal and state actions against insurance fraud, effectiveness of rehabilitation funding, and recommend policy changes. This bill directly affects prospective patients seeking rehabilitation by mandating transparency into industry fraud, but it does not create new laws or penalties itself.

This bill requires pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) administering prescription drug benefits for federal employee health plans to reimburse pharmacies at specific rates, including the national average drug cost plus a small percentage or $50, whichever is lower. It prohibits PBMs from favoring their own pharmacies, restricting patient choice, or reducing pharmacy payments after claims are processed. The bill establishes $10,000 civil penalties for violations, with debarment from federal health plans after 10 penalties in 10 years. This directly affects PBMs, in-network pharmacies, and federal health benefit plans covering millions of federal employees and their families. The law aims to ensure fair reimbursement practices and maintain pharmacy choice under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.