- On May 1, 2008, the Senate Armed Services Committee completed its mark-up of the National Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009. The bill authorizes funding for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE). Health care provisions include:
- Authorizes $26.1 billion for the Defense Health Program, which includes the $1.2 billion necessary to cover the rejection of the Administration proposal to raise TRICARE fees;
- Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a comprehensive policy to prevent suicides by military personnel;
- Repeals the prohibition on conversion of military medical and dental positions to civilian medical and dental positions and restores the requirement that service secretaries must certify 12 that military to civilian conversions do not affect the cost, quality, or access to military health care;
- Requires the Secretary of Defense to calculate the amount of monthly premiums paid by members of the Selected Reserve for health care coverage under the TRICARE Reserve Select program based on actual costs of the preceding years;
- Requires the Secretary of each military department to provide annual medical and dental exams and restorative care to certain reserve component individuals and units to ensure medical and dental readiness for deployment; clarifies funding for medical and dental care to meet readiness standards for members of the Ready Reserve who have been notified that they will be mobilized; and authorizes the Secretary of Defense to waive copayments for members of the Selected Reserve enrolled in the TRICARE dental insurance program during a time of national emergency in order to ensure members of deploying units meet dental readiness standards;
- Authorizes additional health care studies and demonstrations, including projects which provide incentives for health promotion, rewards to high quality health care providers, improved medical and dental readiness of the reserves; and provision of a stipend for family members of mobilized reservists to maintain their private health care insurance;
- Requires a Comptroller General study on the active and reserve medical personnel requirements, shortfalls and actions needed to resolve medical personnel shortages; and
- Requires the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to continue the operations of the Senior Oversight Committee to oversee implementation of Wounded Warrior initiatives.
In addition, the bill authorizes reserve component chaplains and medical officers to be retained in an active status until the date the officer turns 68.
- On April 28, 2008, President Bush signed into law S. 793, the "Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2008." This legislation authorizes appropriations and makes changes to the Department of Health and Human Services programs that provide grants for State programs for: tracking and reporting of brain injuries; and brain injury rehabilitation.
- On May 1, 2008, the House passed H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. This legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect to health insurance and employment. This bill was passed by the Senate on April 24, 2008.
Military Health Care News
- On May 1, 2008, TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) announced that a U.S. federal court has ordered a Philippine corporation to liquidate its assets and pay more than $100 million to the U.S. government in restitution, fines and forfeitures. Health Visions Corp. was sentenced for mail fraud in U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, April 24, 2008, following a lengthy investigation involving fraudulent TRICARE claims in the Philippines.
The sentencing stems from a July, 2005 indictment of Health Visions and its president, Thomas A. Lutz, on 75 counts of defrauding the TRICARE program. Charges were brought in the Western District of Wisconsin because Wisconsin Physicians Service, the fiscal intermediary which processed and paid the fraudulent claims, is located in Madison, Wis. Lutz pleaded guilty in December, 2006, to conspiracy to pay kickbacks. His sentencing has not been scheduled.
The favorable outcome resulted from an ongoing investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the investigative arm of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General (DoD-IG), with assistance from the DoD-IG Audit Readiness and Operations Support Directorate, as well as assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter M. Jarosz and Daniel J. Graber.
Health Visions and Lutz schemed to offer kickback agreements with medical providers in the Philippines in which the provider, at the request of Lutz, paid 50 percent of the amount of the bills for medical services rendered to TRICARE patients back to Health Visions. The patients were referred by Health Visions. Bills submitted to TRICARE were also inflated and in some cases a sham insurance program was created to circumvent beneficiary deductibles and cost shares. The fraud took place during a six-year period starting in 1998.
Since the fraudulent practices came to light, TMA has worked diligently to modify claims processing requirements and has aggressively instituted additional claims processing controls. From 2001 to 2007 the total cost avoidance in the Philippines has been approximately $288 million. Cost avoidance reflects dollars not paid because of claims processing edits and fraud controls that were in place. TMA has adopted multi-faceted anti-fraud controls in the Philippines including: anti-fraud data mining, provider certification, fixed fee schedules and price caps, and education and outreach to providers.
In addition, TMA is conducting reviews of claims before they are paid to prevent duplicate payments, payments for non-covered services, and excessive reimbursement. Savings from these reviews of overseas claims for 2007 were approximately $2.5 million, $1.7 million for 2006, and $5 million for 2005. Savings from beneficiary prepayment review for the same time frame resulted in just over $1 million in savings. Overseas screening of claims led to claim denials of approximately $9.8 million for 2007, $7.1 million for 2006 and $24.9 million in 2005. http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=397
- TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) announced its www.ucanquit2.org Web site for the “Quit Tobacco—Make Everyone Proud” educational campaign is now a 2008 Gold Screen Award winner.
The Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards competition is sponsored by the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC). The Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards are the most recognized awards competition for government communicators. Blue Pencil Awards honor producers of publications, media relations, photography, visual communications, and special communications. Gold Screen Awards recognize entries for video and multimedia and the Internet. Open to all levels of government and the military, the competition has more than 50 categories and attracts hundreds of entries each year.
The Quit Tobacco—Make Everyone Proud Web site’s mission is to help 18 to 24-year-old Active Duty military personnel quit tobacco. The Web-based cessation information and support tools on the site provide help to those wanting to quit tobacco and those helping others to quit. On the site, users can develop a personalized plan for quitting; get information; play games; listen to podcasts; connect to federal, military, state, local, and online cessation programs; and communicate privately with a trained cessation coach seven days a week, 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST.
Growth in visitors and visits per month has been steady since the Web site was launched in early 2007 and now amounts to more than 12,000 unique visitors per month.
The Web site targets both smokers and smokeless tobacco users who are Active Duty military personnel, aged 18 to 24 years, in pay grades E1 through E4. Tobacco use is higher among this group than among older either military, or similar aged civilians. http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=390
TRICARE publications in Spanish include: TRICARE Prime Handbook, TRICARE Prime Remote Handbook, TRICARE Latin America and Canada Handbook, TRICARE Choices for the National Guard & Reserve Flyer, TRICARE Summary of Beneficiary Cost Flyer, TRICARE Overseas Program At a Glance Flyer, and a few other forms and letters. Visit TRICARE Publications Smart Site under the “My Benefit” portal at www.tricare.mil for the complete list of products.
- TRICARE Beneficiaries who want a thorough understanding of TRICARE benefits can participate in TRICARE University’s free on-line course. No registration is required for the TRICARE Public course.
According to TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), this on-line course provide information about topics, such as medical, pharmacy and dental coverage, eligibility, as well as many others. TMA encourages members of the Reserve Component to take advantage of the course module on the TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) program.
- On April 25, 2008, TriWest Healthcare Alliance announced it earned its Health Network reaccreditation from URAC for compliance with URAC's high standards. TriWest.
URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization which promotes health care quality through its accreditation and certification programs, examined TriWest's provider services, clinical quality management, contract administration, security, information technology, marketing, human resources, contact center, training, legal and data management departments.
TriWest Healthcare Alliance administers the military's health care plan, TRICARE, in the West Region for 2.9 million beneficiaries in 21 western states.
- The American Psychiatric Association (APA) released a study conducted by Harris Interactive that shows stigma may still play a significant role in preventing many military service members and their spouses from obtaining the mental health care they need. The survey shows that six in ten military members (61 percent) think that seeking help for mental health concerns would have at least some negative impact on their career. In addition, about half of military members (53 percent) believe that others will think less of them if they seek help for mental health concerns.
The Military Mental Health Survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Psychiatric Association between March 5-18, 2008 among a total of 191 military members (n=78) and spouses of military members (n=113), using the Harris Poll Online Panel.
While respondents generally rated their overall mental health as good or excellent (including 71 percent of military service members and 75 percent of military spouses), many report regularly experiencing common symptoms of mental illness. This includes nearly half (48 percent) that report difficulty sleeping at least twice a week and about a third (34 percent) that report a lack of interest in daily activities at least twice a week. The majority of spouses also reported a lot or a little stress from handling domestic issues alone (60 percent) and single parenting (54 percent).
In addition, respondents reported low levels of knowledge when it comes to common warning signs of, and treatment options for, mental health issues that may result from being deployed to or serving in support of a war zone. The survey showed that about half of military members (49 percent) and military spouses (53 percent) say they are somewhat or not at all knowledgeable about the warning signs of mental health concerns from such service and about 6 in 10 military members (59 percent) and two thirds of military spouses (66 percent) say they know little or nothing at all about effective treatments that exist for mental health concerns that may arise from serving in a war zone.
While greater education about mental illnesses is clearly needed, most respondents did express belief in the fact that mental illnesses can be successfully treated (with 87 percent of respondents agreeing with this statement).
- On May 1, 2008, the Department of Defense, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved revisions to question 21 on the Questionnaire for National Security Positions, Standard Form (SF) 86, regarding mental and emotional health counseling.
This change was made to alleviate concerns of service members in need of mental health care who fear seeking treatment would hurt their career or affect their security clearance.
Per direction of the secretary of defense, DoD components will immediately distribute the revised question 21 language for awareness and use by all DoD personnel completing the security clearance form.
Until a new SF86 is published by the OPM later this summer, the OMB has agreed to allow DoD members to use the revised version of question 21 with the current SF86.
- The Military Health System (MHS) launched a weekly Internet radio show on BlogTalkRadio on May 1, 2008. Hosted by the Department of Defense, “Dot-Mil-Docs” will broadcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/Dot-Mil-Docs every Thursday at 3 p.m. (EST).
MHS topics on Dot-Mil-Docs will range from advances in medical research to traumatic brain injury, suicide and adjustment from deployment.
The debut program “What is TRICARE?” featured the chief of TRICARE’s customer communications, Francine Forestell. Next week, Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, deputy director, Force Health Protection, will provide a view of how broad the military health service is and how many ways it reaches out to help our service members. http://www.health.mil/Press/Release.aspx?ID=176
- Military pediatricians and youth professionals developed DVDs to help military children understand and deal with the emotions related to a family member’s deployment.
The United States Army Medical Command and the American Academy of Pediatrics produced "Military Youth Coping with Separation: When Family Members Deploy," to address a variety of deployment-related concerns for teens. For elementary age children, there is “Mr. Poe and Friends Discuss Reunion After Deployment” DVD. The animated host, Mr. Poe, mentors and provides guidance to children and family members as they discuss deployment.
“Military Youth Coping with Separation” tackles numerous issues that teens face during deployment including fear of injury or death and stress brought about by changes in the home. It also offers coping techniques for dealing with the absence of a parent or loved one. In the DVD, teenagers relate their own deployment-related stories and offer advice.
For younger children, “Mr. Poe and Friends,” uses cartoon characters to talk about deployment issues. The animated host, Mr. Poe, interacts with families at the airport as they await the return of their deployed loved ones. The video features the voices of real military children, parents, and youth serving professionals who have experienced deployment.
Veterans Health Care News
- The Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released “Follow-Up Healthcare Inspection: VA’s Role in Ensuring Services for Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans after Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation,” on May 1, 2008. For the report, the OIG assessed the extent to which the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) maintains involvement with individuals who received treatment for TBI to ensure that their health care needs are met. The OIG concluded that three years after completion of initial inpatient rehabilitation for TBI, many of these patients continue to have significant disabilities. VHA and Veterans Benefits Administration support for TBI patients is extensive. While case management has improved, long-term case management is not uniformly provided for these patients, and significant needs remain unmet. http://www.va.gov/oig/54/reports/VAOIG-08-01023-119.pdf
Health Care News
- Science Daily reports that a new study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found the cost of cancer care for elderly Medicare patients varies by tumor type, stage at diagnosis, phase of care, and survival. The study, published online in the April 29 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, concludes that the five-year cost is highest for patients with lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers. The estimated cost for five years of care for elderly Medicare patients diagnosed with cancer in 2004 is $21.1 billion.
Cost estimates for cancer care are useful for the development and implementation of national cancer programs and policies. As the United States population expands and ages, the incidence of cancer and its associated costs are expected to rise.
The mean net five-year costs of care for elderly individuals varied widely--from less than $20,000 for patients with breast cancer or melanoma to more than $40,000 for patients with lymphoma, brain or other nervous system cancers, or cancers of the esophagus, ovaries, or stomach. Across all cancers, mean net costs were highest in the first 12 months of care and the last 12 months of life, and lowest in the period between the initial phase of care and last year of life.
The study did not evaluate the cost of care in younger cancer patients. As these individuals frequently opt for more aggressive therapies, the cost of services may differ from those reported in the study. Additionally, as newer, more expensive therapies become routine care, the costs could climb. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429164744.htm
- On April 29, 2008, the Senate confirmed Robert G. McSwain as director of the Indian Health Service.
- On April 29, 2008, Health and Human Services’ Secretary Michael Leavitt published prepared remarks regarding his concerns on the growing unmanageability of the Medicare budget and the increasing costs of health care overall. http://www.hhs.gov/news/speech/2008/sp20080429a.html
- A research group supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has uncovered a new route for attacking the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may offer a way to circumvent problems with drug resistance. In findings published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers report that they have blocked HIV infection in the test tube by inactivating a human protein expressed in key immune cells.
Most of the drugs now used to fight HIV, which is the retrovirus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), target the virus’s own proteins. However, because HIV has a high rate of genetic mutation, those viral targets change quickly and lead to the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains.
In the new study, Pamela Schwartzberg, M.D., Ph.D., a senior investigator at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of NIH; Andrew J. Henderson, Ph.D., of Boston University; and their colleagues found that when they interfered with a human protein called interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase (ITK) they inhibited HIV infection of key human immune cells, called T cells. ITK is a signaling protein that activates T cells as part of the body’s healthy immune response.
When HIV enters the body, it infects T cells and takes over the activities of these white blood cells so that the virus can replicate. Eventually, HIV infection compromises the entire immune system and causes AIDS. The new work shows that without active ITK protein, HIV cannot effectively take advantage of many signaling pathways within T cells, which in turn slows or blocks the spread of the virus. http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2008/nhgri-28.htm
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it has launched a multi-year hiring initiative targeting biologists, chemists, medical officers, mathematical statisticians and investigators to help meet the agency's responsibilities to assure the safety and/or efficacy of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, food, cosmetics and products that emit radiation.
In fiscal year 2008 alone, the FDA is looking to fill more than 600 new positions and to backfill more than 700 others to implement the FDA Amendments Act of 2007, the Food Protection Plan and the Import Safety Action Plan. That's nearly triple the number of people hired from 2005-2007.
The Office of Personnel Management has granted Direct-Hire Authority to the FDA, an operating division of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Direct-Hire Authority is an appointing authority OPM can give to federal agencies for filling vacancies when a critical hiring need or severe shortage of candidates exists. It expedites hiring of qualified candidates by eliminating certain rating and ranking preferences. Qualified candidates could be on the job in as little as three weeks.
The critical need occupations are medical officers, consumer safety officers, chemists, nurse consultants, biologists, microbiologists, health/regulatory/general health scientists, mathematical statisticians, epidemiologists, pharmacologists, pharmacists and veterinary medical officers. Many of these positions are located in the Washington metropolitan area, specifically Rockville, Silver Spring and College Park, Md., as well as across the country in the FDA's five regions, 20 districts, more than 179 resident posts, and the newly created FDA offices overseas.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Amitiza (lubiprostone) for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation (IBS-C) in adult women aged 18 and over. There is currently no prescription drug therapy for IBS-C. With this approval, Amitiza becomes the only FDA-approved medical treatment for IBS-C available in the United States.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a disorder characterized by cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. IBS causes a great deal of discomfort and distress to its sufferers. It affects at least twice as many women as men.
The efficacy of Amitiza in men was not conclusively demonstrated for IBS-C and is
not approved for use in children and men. It is not to be administered to patients suffering from severe diarrhea or patients with known or suspected bowel obstructions. Its safety and efficacy has not been established in patients with renal or hepatic impairment, pregnant, or nursing mothers.
Amitiza is also approved for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC), but the dose for that indication is higher at 24 micrograms twice a day.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for marketing a device that a doctor can use to see inside a blood vessel to assess the fat content of the plaque which builds up on the wall of the coronary arteries.
Plaque is a deposit made up of cholesterol-rich fat, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. As plaque accumulates on the artery wall, it reduces blood flow to the heart muscle and increases the risk of blood clots which can lead to a heart attack.
Nearly one million Americans suffer a heart attack every year and about half die. Many heart attacks occur when a fatty coronary plaque ruptures, forming dangerous blood clots. Pathologic studies of patients who died from heart attack have identified a large lipid (fatty) core among features of coronary artery disease that were associated with plaque rupture and thrombosis (blood clots).
The InfraReDx LipiScan NIR Catheter Imaging System uses infrared imaging to detect lipid core-containing plaques of interest and assess a patient's coronary artery lipid core burden index.
LipiScan is manufactured by InfraReDx Inc. of Burlington, Mass. The device is cleared for use by physicians who are evaluating patients with symptoms of coronary heart disease during a heart test known as cardiac angiography, to help in detection of plaques that have lipid (fatty) cores. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01827.html
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has developed a Drug-Free Workplace Kit, suitable for all sizes of workplaces. The free kit provides public and private workplaces with practical evidence-based information, resources and tools for producing and maintaining drug-free workplace policies and programs.
The health- and wellness-focused kit provides guidance to employers on how to protect and prepare the workplace; identify substance abuse related-issues; and provide prevention education and assistance to employees. It discusses the importance of understanding the legal aspects of the problem, as well as how to build a team, assess the workplace, develop a policy, and plan and implement a program to address illicit substance use and abuse in their workplaces and workforces. It also provides guidance on setting up systems for evaluating the program’s effectiveness.
The kit has nine pullout brochures, 13 fact sheets, a bumper sticker, and two 18x24-inch posters for display in workplaces
- According to the New York Times, leading health researchers have projected that each percentage-point rise in unemployment during the economic downturn would swell the uninsured by 1.1 million.
The Urban Institute, which conducted the study for the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that while governments at all levels have faced a similar situation in past recessions, the impact of this downturn might be worsened by its proximity to the last recession, in 2001, and by the cumulative effect of rising health costs.
The number of uninsured Americans has grown this decade and now stands at 47 million, or 16 percent of the population. The projected increase as a result of growing unemployment would be in addition to the growth normally expected from rising insurance costs and the erosion of employer-sponsored coverage.
The study projected that each rise in unemployment of one percentage point would also add 600,000 children and 400,000 adults to the two primary state and federal health insurance programs for the low-income uninsured. That would require an additional $3.4 billion for Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, with $1.4 billion of it from the states.
- Research organizations from around the world announced they are launching the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), a collaboration designed to generate high-quality genomic data on up to 50 types of cancer through efforts projected to take up to a decade.
The ICGC will make its data rapidly and freely available to the global research community. It invites research organizations in all nations to participate.
Each ICGC member will conduct a comprehensive, high-resolution analysis of the full range of genomic changes in at least one specific type or subtype of cancer, with studies built around common standards of data collection and analysis. Each project is expected to involve specimens from approximately 500 patients and have an estimated cost of $20 million.
As part of its coordination efforts, the ICGC will generate a list of approximately 50 cancer types and subtypes that are of clinical significance around the globe. ICGC members plan to assume responsibility for specific cancers, and one of the ICGC's roles should be to facilitate the exchange of information so participants' efforts do not duplicate each other.
- Australia: National Health and Medical Research Council (Observer Status)
- Canada: Genome Canada; Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
- China: Chinese Cancer Genome Consortium
- Europe: European Commission (Observer Status)
- France: Institute National du Cancer
- India: Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology
- Japan: RIKEN; National Cancer Center
- Singapore: Genome Institute of Singapore
- United Kingdom: The Wellcome Trust; Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
- United States: NIH
Worldwide, more than 7.5 million people died of cancer and more than 12 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2007. Unless progress is made in understanding and controlling cancer, those numbers are expected to rise to 17.5 million deaths and 27 million new cases in 2050.
The ICGC's main criteria for prioritizing cancer types include: impact, including incidence and mortality rates, availability of therapies and age of onset; scientific interest; and feasibility, which includes the ability to obtain enough high-quality samples to conduct a large-scale project.
- The total number of Guard and Reserve currently on active duty has decreased by 1,645 from the last report to 101,012. The totals for each service are Army National Guard and Army Reserve, 78,982; Navy Reserve, 5,014; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 8,088; Marine Corps Reserve, 8,581; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 347. www.defenselink.mil
Reports/Policies
- The GAO published “Global HIV/AIDS: A More Country-Based Approach Could Improve Allocation of PEPFAR Funding,” (GAO-08-480) April 2, and released it on April 29, 2008. The report describes the views of HIV/AIDS experts on these directives to allocate the $30 billion funds; an alternative approach to allocating funds; and potential challenges related to this approach. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08480.pdf
- The Institute of Medicine (IOM) published “Antivirals for Pandemic Influenza: Guidance on Developing a Distribution and Dispensing Program,” on April 25, 2008. The report, conducted at the request of the Department of Health and Human Services, considers best practices and policies for providing antiviral treatment and prophylaxis during a pandemic event. http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3793/48672/53836.aspx
- The GAO published “Health Savings Accounts (HSA): Participation Increased and Was More Common among Individuals with Higher Incomes,” (GAO-08-474R) on April 1, and released it on April 30, 2008. In the report the GAO examined participation in HSA-eligible high-deductible health plans and HSAs; the income characteristics of HSA account holders; and contributions made to and withdrawals made from HSAs. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08474r.pdf
- The GAO published “VA and DOD Health Care: Progress Made on Implementation of 2003 President's Task Force Recommendations on Collaboration and Coordination, but More Remains to Be Done,” (GAO-08-495R) on April 30, 2008. In this report, the GAO examined the status of VA and DOD's efforts in implementing the 2003 task force recommendations. Specifically, this report describes the extent to which VA and DOD have implemented the recommendations of the 2003 President's Task Force to Improve Health Care for Our Nation's Veterans related to collaboration and coordination. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08495r.pdf
Legislation
- H.RES.1149 (introduced April 24, 2008): Expressing support for the designation of April 2008 as National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, and supporting efforts to devote new resources to research the causes of the disease, environmental and otherwise, along with treatments and workforce strategies to support individuals with sarcoidosis was referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Sponsor: Representative Danny K. Davis [IL-7]
- H.RES.1156 (introduced April 29, 2008): Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 493) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect to health insurance and employment was placed on the House Calendar.
Sponsor: Representative Louise McIntosh Slaughter [NY-28]
- H.R.5885 (introduced April 24, 2008): To promote a better health information system was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sponsor: Representative Michael C. Burgess [TX-26]
- H.R.5888 (introduced April 24, 2008): To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility was referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sponsor: Representative Bob Filner [CA-51]
- H.R.5892 (introduced April 24, 2008): To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modernize the disability benefits claims processing system of the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure the accurate and timely delivery of compensation to veterans and their families and survivors, and for other purposes was referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sponsor: Representative John J. Hall [NY-19]
- H.R.5897 (introduced April 24, 2008): To establish a health registry to ensure that certain individuals who may have been exposed to formaldehyde in a travel trailer have an opportunity to register for such registry and receive medical treatment for such exposure and for other purposes was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Sponsor: Representative John Barrow [GA-12]
- H.R.5901 (introduced April 24, 2008): To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate contributing factors to disparities in breast cancer treatment through the development of a uniform set of consensus-based breast cancer treatment performance measures for a six-year quality reporting system and value-based purchasing system under the Medicare Program was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sponsor: Representative Kathy Castor [FL-11]
- H.R.5918 (introduced April 29, 2008): To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a nationwide health insurance purchasing pool for small businesses and the self-employed that would offer a choice of private health plans and make health coverage more affordable, predictable, and accessible was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, Ways and Means, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sponsor: Representative John Barrow [GA-12]
- S.2911 (introduced April 24, 2008): A bill to improve vaccination rates among children was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sponsor: Senator Lisa Murkowski [AK]
- S.2932 (introduced April 29, 2008): A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the poison center national toll-free number, national media campaign, and grant program to provide assistance for poison prevention, sustain the funding of poison centers, and enhance the public health of people of the United States was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sponsor: Senator Patty Murray [WA]
- S.2936 (introduced April 29, 2008): A bill to amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program, to limit income eligibility expansions under that program until the lowest income eligible individuals are enrolled, and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sponsor: Senator Elizabeth Dole [NC]
- S.2937 (introduced April 29, 2008): A bill to provide permanent treatment authority for participants in Department of Defense chemical and biological testing conducted by Deseret Test Center and an expanded study of the health impact of Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense, and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sponsor: Senator Jon Tester [MT]
- S.2939 (introduced April 30, 2008): A bill to expand and improve mental health care and reintegration programs for members of the National Guard and Reserve, and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Sponsor: Senator Edward M. Kennedy [MA]
- S.2946 (introduced April 30, 2008): A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make a stillborn child an insurable dependent for purposes for the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program, and for other purposes was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sponsor: Senator David Vitter [LA]
- S.2948 (introduced April 30, 2008): A bill to provide quality, affordable health insurance for small employers and individuals was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sponsor: Senator Sherrod Brown [OH]
- S.2950 (introduced April 30, 2008): A bill to increase housing, awareness, and navigation demonstration services (HANDS) for individuals with autism spectrum disorders was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sponsor: Senator Robert Menendez [NJ]
Hill Hearings
- The House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on May 6, 2008, entitled: The Truth about Veterans’ Suicides.
- The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on May 7, 2008, to examine pending benefits legislation.
- The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on May 21, 2008, to examine pending health care legislation.
- The 2008 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting will be held on May 3-8, 2008, in Washington, DC. http://www.psych.org/MainMenu/EducationCareerDevelopment/Meetings/AnnualMeeting.aspx
- The HIMSS AsiaPac08 Conference will be held May 20-23, 2008, in Hong Kong. http://www.himssasiapac.org/
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a public workshop entitled: "Hemoglobin Based Oxygen Carriers: Current Status and Future Directions," on April 29-30, 2008, in Bethesda Md. http://www.fda.gov/cber/meetings/hboc042908.htm
- The 2008 AMIA Spring Congress will be held on May 29-31, 2008, in Phoenix, Ariz. http://www.amia.org/meetings/s08/
- The 2nd Annual Chronic Care Congress will be held on June 1-3, 2008, in Alexandria, Va. http://www.worldcongress.com/events/HL08046/
- The 6th Biodefense Vaccines & Therapeutics will be held on June 9-11, 2008, in Washington, DC. http://www.infocastinc.com/biodefense
- Hypertension 2008 will be held on June 14-19, 2008, in Berlin Germany. http://www.hypertension2008.com/
- The 13th International Congress on Infectious Diseases will be held June 19-22, 2008, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. http://www.isid.org/13th_icid/
- The Fourth National Summit on Women Veterans Issues will be held on June 20-22, 2008, in Washington D.C. http://www.va.gov/womenvet
- The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting will be held July 27-31, 2008, in Washington D.C. http://www.aacc.org/AACC/events/ann_meet/
- The DoD's Force Health Protection Conference will be held Aug. 9-15, 2008, in Albuquerque, N.M. http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/fhp/
- The Advanced Technology Applications for Combat Casualty Care (ATACCC) 2008 Conference will be held on Aug. 11-13, 2008, in St. Pete Beach Fl. http://www.usaccc.org/
- The 3rd National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery will be held on Sept.15-17, 2008, in Tampa, Fla. http://www.fadaa.org/women/
- The 45th ARHP Annual Meeting: “Reproductive Health 2008” will be held Sept. 17-20, 2008, in Washington D.C. http://www.arhp.org/conferences
- The 2008 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Exposition will be held on Oct. 25-29, 2008, in San Diego, Calif. http://www.apha.org/meetings/
- The 4th Annual World Healthcare Innovation & Technology Congress (WHIT 4.0) will be held on Dec. 8 –11, 2008, in Washington, DC. http://www.worldcongress.com/events/HT08010/index.cfm?confCode=HT08010
- The 20th Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care will be held Dec. 8-11, 2008, in Nashville, Tenn. http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/ConferencesAndSeminars/20thNationalForumonQualityImprovement.htm
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