Healthcare

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 11, 2025

S 927: Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act

Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act This bill provides funds beginning in FY2026 for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to survey retail and non-retail pharmacies (e.g., mail-order pharmacies) to determine average prices of covered outpatient drugs under Medicaid. Pharmacies that fail to participate in the surveys are subject to civil penalties. The bill additionally provides funds for FY2026 for the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services to study the results of the survey and report accordingly to Congress. The bill also requires pass-through pricing models, and prohibits spread-pricing, for payment arrangements with pharmacy benefit managers under Medicaid.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates FY2026 funds for Medicaid pharmacy price surveys to determine average drug costs, supporting program integrity and fair reimbursement for participating pharmacies.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Medicare Prescription Drugs

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in committee · United States · Senate Jan 23, 2025

SRES 32: A resolution designating January 23, 2025, as "Maternal Health Awareness Day".

This resolution designates January 23, 2025, as "Maternal Health Awareness Day" to highlight maternal health challenges in the U.S. It focuses on raising public awareness about maternal mortality (with statistics showing 800 annual pregnancy-related deaths) and disparities (such as Black women facing nearly 3x higher mortality rates than White women). The resolution encourages federal, state, tribal, and local entities to take action on improving maternal care and reducing inequities, though it does not create new laws or funding. As a symbolic designation, it has no binding effect but aims to promote existing efforts like maternal mortality reviews and community-based care models.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareResolution designates Maternal Health Awareness Day to address maternal mortality disparities and encourage action on improving care, aligning with healthcare support indicators like reducing inequities.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Women's Health

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in committee · United States · House Sep 16, 2025

HR 5375: Essential Skills and Child Care for Health Professions Act

This bill requires new demonstration projects for health care training programs to provide foundational skills education and affordable child care support. It mandates assessments of adult basic skills, partner networks for pre-training support, and embedded skill maintenance during training. Participants must receive guaranteed child care access through referrals, direct payments to providers, or coverage of fees. The policy affects lower-skilled individuals entering health professions training and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates child care support and foundational skills for health training, enabling lower-skilled individuals to enter healthcare careers, thus strengthening workforce capacity and access.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates affordable child care access for health care training participants, removing a key barrier to workforce entry and supporting employment standards for lower-skilled workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Apprenticeships Workforce Development

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in committee · United States · House Jan 31, 2025

HR 879: Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025

Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act of 2025 This bill increases certain payment adjustments under the Medicare physician fee schedule for services furnished between April 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIncreases Medicare physician payments to stabilize practices and improve patient access, directly strengthening healthcare funding and access for Medicare beneficiaries.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicare

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in committee · United States · Senate Apr 1, 2025

S 1232: Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

This bill requires health care and social service employers to develop and implement workplace violence prevention plans for their employees. The plans must include risk assessments, hazard prevention measures, incident reporting procedures, and annual evaluations. Employers must provide specific training to employees, maintain incident records for 5 years, and protect employees from retaliation for reporting violence. The bill applies to hospitals, residential treatment facilities, clinics, and other covered facilities that provide health care or social services. It establishes specific definitions for types of workplace violence and requires employers to follow detailed safety protocols.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates workplace violence prevention plans for healthcare workers, directly protecting medical professionals and enhancing safety in healthcare settings.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates employer safety plans, training, and retaliation protection for healthcare workers, directly strengthening workplace safety and worker protections under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Workplace Safety

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in committee · United States · House May 7, 2025

HR 3262: NURSE Act

HR 3262, the NURSE Act, creates a federal grant program to help schools hire more registered school nurses, primarily targeting public elementary and secondary schools serving high-need communities. The bill prioritizes schools where at least 20% of students qualify for free/reduced-price lunches (indicating high poverty) or lack any nurse, with federal funds covering up to 75% of costs for hiring nurses. Eligible schools or consortia must demonstrate student health needs, such as chronic conditions or mental health support, and the program requires a report to Congress evaluating impacts on nurse staffing and student health outcomes. The grant program is authorized for fiscal years 2026-2030, aiming to address the current shortage where one-third of schools lack a school nurse.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates federal grants to fund school nurse hiring, increasing public service funding through government spending.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates federal grants to fund school nurse hiring in high-need K-12 schools, directly advancing student health access and educational support through targeted funding.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds school nurse hiring in high-need schools, expanding access to health services for students, directly aligning with healthcare funding and access indicators.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds hiring of school nurses in high-need schools, directly supporting employment opportunities in healthcare sector through federal grants.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health Healthcare Workforce Mental Health

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in committee · United States · House Apr 24, 2025

HR 3022: Restoring Rights of Physicians to Own Hospitals Act

This bill repeals restrictions that previously prevented physicians from owning hospitals, particularly in rural areas. It amends Section 1877 of the Social Security Act to remove specific ownership prohibitions and exceptions related to rural hospitals. The key change allows physicians to directly own or invest in hospitals without needing special qualifying exceptions. This directly affects physicians seeking to own rural hospitals and rural hospitals that previously faced ownership barriers. The bill makes a concrete policy change by removing these legal barriers to physician ownership.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves ownership barriers for physicians in rural hospitals, improving access to healthcare services and provider control in underserved areas.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Medicaid Medical Licensing

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in committee · United States · Senate May 21, 2025

S 1843: Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025

S 1843, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025, extends funding for existing federal reentry programs through 2030 instead of 2023. It updates timeframes across multiple programs, including state reentry demonstration projects (adding substance use disorder treatment and housing services), family-based substance abuse grants, prison education evaluations, career training for incarcerated individuals, and community mentoring programs. These programs directly support people returning from incarceration by providing critical services like recovery support, job training, and transitional housing. The bill makes no new policy changes but continues current federal funding mechanisms for reentry assistance.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExtends funding for reentry programs, adds substance use treatment/housing, and expands career training for incarcerated individuals to reduce recidivism and support rehabilitation.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill extends funding for prison education programs and career training for incarcerated individuals, directly supporting educational access and programs.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAdds substance use disorder treatment to reentry programs, directly expanding healthcare access for returning citizens through federal funding.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingAdds housing services to state reentry programs, explicitly funding housing support for returning citizens through extended program funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole Sentencing Substance Abuse

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in committee · United States · Senate May 5, 2025

S 1598: BABIES Act

The BABIES Act (S 1598) creates two main programs to expand access to independent birth centers. First, it provides grants of $300,000-$500,000 per year to up to 15 accredited birth centers in underserved areas (e.g., maternity care shortage zones) for facility upgrades, equipment, or accreditation costs ($5 million total over 2026-2030). Second, it launches a Medicaid demonstration program testing new payment models for birth centers serving low-risk pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid, requiring centers to meet strict accreditation, licensure, and care coordination standards. This directly affects birth centers seeking expansion, Medicaid recipients in underserved communities, and states developing payment systems for birth center services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides $5M in grants for birth center expansions in underserved areas and Medicaid payment models to improve maternal care access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Medical Licensing Women's Health

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in committee · United States · Senate Jul 24, 2025

S 2447: Repealing the Trump Sick Tax Act

This bill repeals two specific provisions from the 2023 "Trump Sick Tax Act" (Public Law 119-21) that affected Medicaid and drug pricing. It restores previous Medicaid cost-sharing rules under Title XIX of the Social Security Act and reverts changes to orphan drug exclusions under the Drug Price Negotiation Program (Title XI). These changes directly affect Medicaid beneficiaries and pharmaceutical manufacturers by returning to the pre-2023 policy framework for cost-sharing and drug pricing negotiations. The bill does not create new programs but reverses specific cost-related provisions enacted in 2023.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRepeals provisions that restricted Medicaid cost-sharing and drug pricing, restoring pre-2023 policies that expand access and affordability for beneficiaries and manufacturers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Prescription Drugs

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