Healthcare

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 27, 2026

S 1414: Expedited Access to Biosimilars Act

This bill modifies requirements for approving biosimilar drugs (follow-on versions of biologic medicines). It removes previous mandatory assessments of immunogenicity or clinical efficacy for biosimilar licensure, instead allowing the FDA to require such studies only when the agency provides written justification to the applicant. The change applies to new biosimilar applications submitted after the bill's enactment. It directly affects drug manufacturers seeking FDA approval for biosimilars and the FDA's review process, aiming to streamline approvals while maintaining safety standards.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves mandatory FDA assessments for biosimilars, enabling faster market access and lower drug costs, improving patient access to treatments.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Prescription Drugs

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 19, 2026

S 297: PSA Screening for HIM Act

This bill requires health insurance plans to cover prostate cancer screenings without copays or deductibles for men aged 40+ who are at high risk of prostate cancer. It specifically applies to African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer (defined as having a first-degree relative diagnosed with the disease or genetic risk factors). The law amends existing coverage requirements to include these screenings as a preventive service, aiming to address disparities in late-stage diagnosis and improve early detection rates. The policy change takes effect for plan years beginning January 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates no-cost coverage for prostate cancer screenings for high-risk groups, expanding preventive care access and addressing health disparities in cancer detection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

Track

in committee · United States · House Dec 10, 2025

HR 6314: Lung Cancer Screening Expansion Act of 2025

This bill requires all health insurers and federal health programs to cover annual lung cancer screenings (using low-dose CT scans or equivalent) with no out-of-pocket costs for eligible adults. It directly affects adults aged 50-80 who are deemed at increased lung cancer risk by their healthcare provider due to personal, environmental, or family factors. The law prohibits prior authorization, step-therapy, or annual screening limits stricter than one per year, ensuring immediate access to screening without administrative barriers. Federal health agencies must issue implementing rules within 180 days of the bill's enactment to ensure compliance.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires insurers/federal programs to cover annual lung cancer screenings with no out-of-pocket costs, removes prior authorization barriers, and expands access for high-risk adults.95% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 10, 2025

SRES 318: A resolution recognizing that climate change poses a growing threat to public health and necessitates coordinated action to mitigate its impacts and safeguard the health and well-being of all people in the United States.

This non-binding resolution recognizes climate change as a growing public health threat and urges the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prioritize climate resilience in healthcare. It recommends specific actions, including reinstating the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, directing funding toward underserved communities for infrastructure upgrades, establishing worker heat protection standards, and requiring annual progress reports on health equity outcomes. The resolution directly affects HHS agencies, healthcare providers (especially in rural, Tribal, and low-income areas), and workers facing climate-related health risks. It does not create new laws but calls for coordinated federal action to address climate-driven health impacts like heat-related illnesses, mental health strain, and disease spread.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill explicitly recognizes climate change as a public health threat and urges HHS to prioritize climate resilience, directing funds for infrastructure upgrades and health equity measures related to climate impacts.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates HHS to prioritize climate resilience in healthcare, directs funding for underserved community infrastructure, and requires health equity reports - directly advancing healthcare access and equity.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExplicitly recommends establishing 'worker heat protection standards,' directly advancing workplace safety protections under Labor & Employment policies.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Climate Change Mental Health Public Health

Track

in committee · United States · Senate May 21, 2025

S 1836: SMART Prices Act

The SMART Prices Act (S 1836) changes how Medicare negotiates drug prices. It increases the number of drugs eligible for negotiation from 15 to 50 per year starting in 2028, shortens the time drugs must be the sole source for eligibility from 7 to 3 years, and adjusts price ceiling percentages for negotiated drugs (e.g., raising the maximum fair price from 75% to 76% for some drugs). These changes directly affect Medicare Part D beneficiaries and pharmaceutical companies by altering the negotiation process and pricing caps. The bill modifies existing Medicare drug pricing rules without creating new programs, applying to initial price negotiations beginning in 2028.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIncreases Medicare drug negotiation eligibility and lowers price ceilings, directly improving affordability and access for Part D beneficiaries.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicare Prescription Drugs

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Feb 25, 2025

S 729: Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act

This bill requires all U.S. hospitals to publicly list their standard prices for common services within six months of enactment (or six months after opening for new hospitals) and update this list annually. Hospitals must ensure this pricing information is accessible online and cannot hide it from search results. Non-compliant hospitals face daily fines - ranging from $600 per day for small hospitals to $11,000 per day for large facilities - based on bed size, with the government publishing a public list of violators every six months. The law aims to make healthcare pricing transparent for patients and enforceable through specific penalties.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires hospital price transparency to improve patient access and informed decision-making, aligning with healthcare access protections.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Medicaid Medicare

Track

in committee · United States · House Sep 2, 2025

HR 5094: Protect Patients from Costly Care Act

HR 5094, the "Protect Patients from Costly Care Act," repeals two specific provisions from a prior reconciliation law (Public Law 119-21) that would have increased patient costs. It restores Medicaid cost sharing rules to their pre-2023 state, directly affecting Medicaid beneficiaries by preventing higher out-of-pocket costs. It also reverses changes to orphan drug exclusions under the Drug Price Negotiation Program, bringing those medications back under federal price negotiation rules for manufacturers. The bill does not create new policies but undoes specific cost-increasing changes to existing programs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRepeals cost-increasing provisions, restores pre-2023 Medicaid cost sharing, and reverses orphan drug exclusions to prevent higher patient costs and maintain federal price negotiation for medications.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 14, 2025

S 1085: MedShield Act of 2025

The MedShield Act of 2025 establishes a new pandemic preparedness program under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), requiring the use of artificial intelligence to improve national biodefense. It directs HHS to create a system for real-time pathogen tracking, accelerate vaccine development, and optimize treatment distribution using AI tools, as outlined in Section 3(c). The program mandates annual funding of $300 million in 2025, increasing to $500 million by 2029 (Section 6), and requires a report to Congress within 180 days of enactment (Section 4). This bill directly affects federal agencies coordinating pandemic response and aims to create a continuous, integrated system for addressing biological threats, replacing ad-hoc efforts like Operation Warp Speed.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates $300M+ annual funding for HHS pandemic program including real-time pathogen tracking, vaccine development, and treatment distribution, directly advancing public health programs under healthcare topic.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates AI tools for biodefense program with $300M+ annual funding for pathogen tracking and vaccine development95% confidence

Sub-Topics Artificial Intelligence

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Feb 27, 2025

S 763: Telehealth Expansion Act of 2025

This bill amends IRS rules to require health insurance plans to cover telehealth services without applying deductibles, preventing plans from being disqualified as high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) solely because they waive deductibles for telehealth. It directly affects health insurance plans and employers offering HDHPs by changing how telehealth services are treated under IRS regulations. Key provisions include creating a specific exemption for telehealth services in the Internal Revenue Code and clarifying that such coverage does not disqualify plans from HDHP status. The changes take effect for plan years starting after December 31, 2024.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage of telehealth without deductibles, expanding access to healthcare services and aligning with healthcare access support indicators.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill removes financial barriers for telehealth coverage, promoting technology adoption in healthcare services per IRS rule changes.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Telehealth Telecommunications

Track

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 10, 2025

SCONRES 9: A concurrent resolution expressing support for the recognition of March 10, 2025, as "Abortion Provider Appreciation Day".

SCONRES 9 is a symbolic congressional resolution expressing support for recognizing March 10, 2025, as "Abortion Provider Appreciation Day." It honors abortion providers and staff for their work amid increased challenges following the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. The resolution specifically acknowledges the risks providers face, including harassment and clinic closures, and affirms Congress’s commitment to their safety and patients’ access to abortion care. As a non-binding statement, it does not create new policy but publicly recognizes the contributions of providers in a landscape of restrictive abortion laws.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareHonors abortion providers and affirms access to abortion care, aligning with protecting patient access in healthcare services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Primary Care Women's Health

Track